Have you noticed that it’s so easy to look for signs of addiction in the one Addicted rather than seeing their recovery behavior??? In fact any person recovering from any form of addiction has to face distrust as a result of their past performance. Every addict will have his personal demons to fight and the external situations too. Relapse is a constant threat that hovers like Damocles’ sword. There are expectations of recovery being a goal that can be achieved in a time bound quantifiable manner. That’s why recovery is known to be a personal non-standardized process. Each person has his own landmarks and high points, yet there are stages common to all.
The stages of Recovery:
Recovery is an extremely individualized, growth and evolutionary process that takes place in spurts and trickles at variable pace. There are overlapping stages that one can observe. The needs of addicts in recovery vary as their abstinent time from substance use increases. In fact that’s the first recognizable stage.
Abstinence
This is the period when one has sought help and is staying away from the substance of intoxication. It takes time and generally lasts between 1-2 years. The addict has to face and practice quite a lot of things in this phase beginning with physical and psychological (mind) withdrawal symptoms like wanting a last drink/ drug, physical pain, lack of sleep, depression. The goal here is to stay away from the using patterns, develop strategies to live differently and practice the new patterns diligently. Major decisions about one’s life should not be taken in this stage. As most think of jumping to the things they feel have more importance or are the real issues and don’t understand the importance of getting balanced perspective on oneself and one’s life, that this could lead back to old patterns, it is important to take things at a slower pace. In The abstinence stage there is improvement in physical and emotional self-care. However, since a lack of self-care is what led to the addiction in the first place, Goals for this stage of Recovery may include the following:
- Firstly demolish all denial. Accept completely without reservation the fact that one is addicted and one’s life has been negatively affected. Then accept that recovery is a non negotiable requirement.
- Stay aware that cravings will arise and take one back to using. So strategies for dealing with cravings need to be created and implemented.
- Avoiding people, places and things that could be triggers for relapse is a necessity.
- One has to learn different ways of saying ‘No’ assertively.
- Forming new addictions by substituting substances is a very real danger.
- Honesty with oneself about oneself is a must.
- One has to learn and practice what is self care.
- Develop alternative activities to drinking or drugs like hobbies or meditation.
- Active involvement in Self help support groups is very beneficial.
- Gain a new perspective on life and oneself.
As one continues to stay abstinent, life and the process of recovery will bring up new things to look into. Without having learnt to cope with the realities of living without the crutch of the addiction one will always run the risk of relapse. If one is rigorous in learning and practicing the new way of life, the chances are one will move along to the next phases with much confidence and success. As one progresses through the abstinence stage, they feel increasingly better and can take more control over their lives.
Maintenance and Repair
This is the second phase of recovery which begins by end of first year and goes on till the third to fifth year of recovery. AS the reality of the consequences of the substance use are seen by the addict, they tend to get hopeless and anxious about how they will get everything into order again. Most face things like financial losses or instability, employment issues, and damage to their self esteem and relationships. There is guilt about the hurts caused and a loss of confidence and even joy of living. Life coiuld appear to some as a huge burden without respite. This is the stage where they take on goals like the following:
- They use their therapist to straighten out the warped thought processes that led to irrational decisions and low self esteem.
- Pro actively engage in activities that create the understanding that addiction does not define them as people, raising their self worth.
- Forgiving and asking for forgiveness thereby repairing relationships.
- Living in such a way that relationships a maintained.
- Learning to accept the randomness of life and that discomfort is an acceptable part.
- Prioritizing and practicing self care.
- Developing a healthy and balanced lifestyle
- Continuing engagement in self-help groups
- Developing healthy alternatives to using substances
In the repair stage, risks to recovery include poor self-care and not attending self-help groups. Establishing a support system while also supporting and believing in oneself is crucial to this stage of recovery. This stage is about catching up with recovery and a healthy lifestyle.
Growth
The third stage of recovery overlaps with the first two and begins in the third year and is an ongoing process. Now the addict’s life begins to move forward as they start to deal with the deeper aspects of personality. They face and deal with the formative incidences of their character that let to addiction susceptibility. This is the time to do this work as by now some coping skills have been developed and they become free of the encumbrances of the past. The goals of this phase are the following:
- Identifying and repairing negative thinking and patterns of self-destructive behaviors
- Understanding how negative patterns in one’s family are passed down, dealing with those resentments, and moving forward
- Challenging fears with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and relaxation techniques for the mind and the body
- Setting healthy boundaries
- Beginning to give back and help others
- Periodically re-evaluating one’s lifestyle and checking that oneself is on the right track of recovery.
- Continuing involvement in self help groups.
The tasks in the growth stage are similar to the daily tasks that those without addiction face in life. When non addicts fail at developing healthy life skills, they may be unhappy in their lives. When those with addiction who are in recovery fail at developing healthy life skills, they also may be unhappy in their lives, but they can also relapse. Primarily, relapse in the growth stage deals with becoming complacent or overly content with one’s recovery. Relapse risks in the growth stage include:
- Denial that an addiction existed
- Not attending self-help groups regularly
- Focusing less on self-care
- Taking on too many responsibilities
- Euphoric recall of the substance using days, Ignoring cravings and not addressing those feelings
- Having a false sense of being able to control a relapse.
Looking for Help?
Understanding addiction to drugs or alcohol is imperative to overcoming the disease. The development of an addiction is a different path for every individual suffering from a substance use disorder, as is the recovery from the addiction. Moving through the stages of recovery is a life-long process. At Zorba wellness, the best rehab in Mumbai and Pune in India, we understand that addiction to drugs or alcohol is individualized, and we offer a safe space to instill and nurture hope for the future. If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, call us today.