Do you ever wonder how or why your thoughts go from place to place? How one minute everything is fine yet the next you are convinced there is no hope or you are incapable of finding peace, happiness, and success.
The easy answer to why this happens is that we are addicts, and this is what addicts do. The hard answer is, the one we don’t want to hear is that we have failed to be honest with ourselves. We have not done the work necessary to identify those root issues that bring dysfunctional thoughts and actions to our life. The fact is, our behaviors are generally consistent across everything we do. The reason(s) we may struggle with things like authority, relationships, telling the truth, boundaries, discipline, follow-through, or addiction all have the same home. It is behavior triggered by the suppression of unhealthy experiences.
When we choose to identify and address those suppressed experiences and feelings, we can find sustainable happiness. We can learn to mitigate the meaningless thoughts our addictive mind creates. We know what is right, we know the issues that keep us from living freely, but we often fail to address them. These issues are painful reminders of who we once were or what life once did to us. They are experiences we hoped to never relive again.
However, when we run from our pasts, we remain vulnerable in our futures. There are moments each day/week when our addiction will hijack our thoughts and take us where we don’t want to go. Our mood and emotions will change, and we become reactionary, rather than purposeful, judgmental rather than accepting, and addicts rather than individuals in recovery. These thoughts can transform our reality quickly and be devastating to our desire for positive change.
It is in these moments that our honesty keeps us safe. If in the rooms of recovery we have worked through those unresolved events/issues that influence our dysfunctional desires, then we are prepared for anything our mind creates. Unfortunately, if somewhere along the line we left something out, took a shortcut, or neglected to confront a past trauma, these vulnerabilities will be revealed. Our addiction knows our weaknesses, and it will expose them. In those moments when life seems real hard, and even in those times when life appears to be in total control, our addiction will use our lack of honesty to get what it wants.
Honesty is the foundation of a life in recovery. Honesty is what allows us to build trust in ourselves and others. It is what enables us to be free from the unwanted influences that surround us. Reliving our pasts can indeed be painful, but it is the avenue to a life you love. Use your qualified therapist to help you identify, confront, and release these suppressed issues. Be patient and persistent, and most of all, keep the faith. Your efforts will be rewarded with more than you can imagine because that is what life and recovery do for us.
About Choice Recovery
On the Tempe/Mesa/Chandler board is Choice Recovery, an addiction treatment center for those struggling with drug and alcohol abuse. Choice Recovery offers an integrated whole-body approach founded on evidence based care. Choice Recovery helps men and women who hope to re-engage in life without the use of drugs and alcohol.
Choice Recovery programming includes Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP) and other stepdown levels of care. Choice Recovery is MAT friendly and offers a MAT Support program for those using medication as a tool in recovery. Choice Recovery has men's and women's groups, individual counseling, and IOP in the morning and evening. Choice Recovery accepts AHCCCS insurance as well as most private insurance company plans. For more information please call 480-527-0337 or email us at admin@choiceiop.com.
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