How to Find the Bright Side of Recovery

Recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction is definitely a challenge. It is physically draining to go through withdrawal symptoms and cravings. It is emotionally taxing to sort through one’s past to try to discover the cause of addiction. It is also mentally tiring to stay on track and do all that needs to be done to heal and avoid relapse.

There will be days when you feel like it is all too much. You will want to give up, and you will wonder if the hard work and disappointments are worth it. Rest assured that you are not alone when you feel like this. Everyone who enters addiction treatment feels this way at one point or another, and you will have good days and bad days. If you make a point to find the positives in your rehab process you will find you will be happier and your recovery will be more complete.

Below are some tips to finding the bright side of recovery. Following these suggestions will help make your recovery a positive experience.

Try Something New and Fun

This is a time of growth and revitalization for you, and it can also be a time to try something new. Don’t let your recovery become mundane by doing the same things every day. Whenever your program allows, try something new and different, even if it seems small and insignificant. Has your recovery center connected you with different support groups where you can meet new people? Take advantage of those opportunities. Does your treatment family go on outings together to the movies, theater productions, or sporting events? Go along. Have you always thought of trying something new or using your hidden talents for something good? This might be the right time for you to take up a new hobby or try your hand at a new type of project. Things like woodworking, sewing, gardening, running, backpacking, or scrapbooking are great ways to keep busy, get your mind working, and see the tangible results of your hard work. Getting involved with new things will improve your mood, help with your sobriety, and help prevent relapse.

Get Closer to Family

Your treatment program should help you rebuild relationships with your family members, and whenever possible, you should do your best to assist with this process. Even though things have been difficult lately and relationships have been strained, if you are able to repair those relationships, you will enjoy your life in recovery much more. Reconnect with loved ones and friends who are a positive influence on your life. Make use of opportunities like family counseling and time allowed for visiting with loved ones. Try to focus on simple activities so you can enjoy your time together in a stress-free environment.

Think of Others

Life is often better when we don’t focus so much on our own problems and shortcomings. Sometimes recovery becomes monotonous if we only dwell on our past problems and how to fix them and not on anyone else’s lives and needs. There are many people in the world who are in need of basic necessities like food and shelter, and others who are lonely and just need someone to talk to. Your recovery is the perfect time to start thinking about others and their struggles, and in doing so, you will be less absorbed with your own issues. You could volunteer at a food bank or homeless shelter, or donate money or goods to a worthy cause. You might even know someone who just needs a friend to sit with and listen to them, or you could go and spend time with someone in a nursing home who is all alone. Looking outside your own problems will be a blessing to others, but it will also help relieve the stress and anxiety you might be facing yourself over staying sober. Having a caring attitude toward others will give you something to look forward to and help you feel a sense of pride over your actions when you see someone else benefitting because you have shown them compassion and love.

Get Closer to God

Finally, and most importantly, in order to find the bright side of recovery, get in the Word. God has a way of speaking to us with the message we need the most whenever we take the time to listen. If you are wondering if the struggle for sobriety is worth it, listen to what God has to say about it. When you read the Bible, pray, and join with other people of faith, you are reminded that God is in control. God promises to be with you and He loves you, no matter what you’ve done in the past. When you strive to get closer to God, you will learn that God has a plan for your life and that plan includes spiritual and emotional renewal. There’s nothing more exciting than thinking about how God will choose to work through you. God has big plans for your life; be willing to follow those plans.

The best way to put all these things into practice is through a Christian rehab program which incorporates a dual approach of growing your faith along with beating the addiction. A proven Christian treatment program will help you overcome your addiction, and will help you maintain sobriety by keeping you connected with God’s word and by providing you with resources to help you find joy in your sobriety.