You might think you have a problem but you might not know what to do or how to go about solving it. You may lack motivation or hope or even desire. You might not see yourself as worthy of recovery or are afraid of a life without your illness.
You Are Not “Less Than”
One coping strategy is a cavalier attitude. You might make jokes or dismiss the addiction as a small thing, as simply part of who you are. This can make it hard to choose recovery. When you have a chronic illness like addiction or mental illness, it is easy for you to identify with the disease. It becomes part of you. Often, it becomes the basis of who you are. You start to think, “I am an alcoholic,” rather than, “I live with alcoholism.”
It is important to get past this. Becoming someone with an addiction does not make you less than others. It does not make you an outsider. Addictive behavior is isolating but choosing recovery can reduce or eliminate the loneliness. It can bring you back into the world where people trust you, where you trust yourself.
Addiction is an illness like any other. Once you stop “being” your illness, the closer you are to recovery. Like many chronic illnesses, there is no cure for addiction but there is a chance to live a healthier, more productive life. You do not have to continue using. You can stop living your disease.
Even then, it is important to not become your recovery. Do not be a “Recovering Addict” instead, be someone who is in recovery. Recovery is a choice. An important, life-saving choice but a choice all the same. Addiction is not. It is easy for people to devalue themselves, to take on undeserved blame for something. Own your behavior but remember that you are a person. People make mistakes. Do not let your illness define you. Instead, define yourself through your actions and the choices you are making. You have chosen to fight your illness. You have chosen to become healthy and to return to a sustainable life. You are a person, complete and whole within yourself. You chose who you are.
While addiction is difficult and complex, there is hope. At Fort Worth Recovery, we understand and value you as an individual. We are trained in a variety of modalities and experienced and have worked with many people over the years to fight their addictions and empower them to save their own lives. Call us at 817 382 2894 or contact us online today.
