Have you ever thought that if you were just able to “get sober” and able to stop using drugs or alcohol that all of your problems would be solved, and you’d live a life of recovery? Addiction recovery is about more than just the absence of drugs in your system. Recovery from drug and alcohol addiction is a complex process and journey – and while the road may be in the right direction, it can often be filled with bumps, twists and turns. There are hardships and heartaches, obstacles and opinionated people along the way. However, it’s a journey that everyone recovering from addiction must travel in order to move forward towards health and freedom. This is why recovery from substance addiction doesn’t just start with abstinence; it starts with hope. What Is Hope? Belief and expectation are the key elements of hope; elements that can block pain and have important effects on both physical and physiological processes. Hope has the ability to help people heal. Instead of wishing for something to happen – hope is solid, concrete evidence that something will happen. Hope allows people to approach the challenges of life with a positive mindset; a feeling of desire for certain things to happen. Hope keeps people going. Why Is Hope So Important For Addiction Recovery? Recovery can be filled with challenges, difficulty, frustration, and obstacles. Having goals in recovery is an excellent start, but it isn’t always enough. In fact, you need something to keep your focus on those goals – and that “thing” is hope. Hope isn’t just wishful thinking – it’s the foundation of your recovery. Without hope, and a feeling of desire for recovery – you will be hard pressed to find meaningful action. Hope will lead you to the right steps, and with such action, you will find the bedrock for your long term recovery. How To Find Hope In the throes of addiction, it’s difficult to see or feel what a life beyond drugs or alcohol, pain or suffering, may entail. Hope is always there; it’s only a matter of finding it. Sometimes finding hope may come with ease – other times, it will take strength. Either way, know that hope is always available to you.
- Listen To And Share Stories Of Hope Stories of recovery can be found all across our resources page on our website; look for “Hope in the Face of a Drug Epidemic” blogs. Stories of success can be heard at meetings or shared among friends in recovery. Not only do such stories inspire recovery, but they also may give you prespective and insight on how to find and sustain your own hope, even when times get difficult. Sharing your personal story with others won’t just help them, but it will give you hope and peace knowing that you are doing what others have done for you.
- Accept Your Current Situation Accepting certain situations in life can be extremely difficult, especially when times get tough. Remember all of the denial that once filled your daily life? Accepting what is playing out in your current situation and seeing it at face value takes a large amount of courage. Although the difficult situation is not where you want to be – it will help you to focus on what you really want, and how you can do it. Taking control of your life and your future starts with acceptance.
- Find A Direction For Life Look at your current life, and what you hope for your future. In addition to your healthy and freedom from addiction, what is important to you? A spouse? Your parents? A career? Starting a family? Traveling? Looking towards the positives in the future, evaluating your goals and how you can achieve them, can help build a purpose for living, growing, and working each day towards your recovery. Finding a direction in life means finding hope.
- Develop A Meaningful Plan Creating a plan for a brighter, healthier, and happier future will help you build hope. Your plan will help you to create firm action in your road to recovery, and each step that you take, you will come to see that your vision and your goals are possible. This will only help to fuel your hope in your recovery, as hope is often nurtured by your own success.
The road to recovery won’t be easy – but with hope, it becomes brighter and more meaningful. With hope, you will find a way to keep going, to keep striving, and keep fighting for your health, happiness, and recovery from addiction.
