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Author: Justin Mckibben
For people who aren’t in recovery the very concept itself can be a strange and abstract idea. In fact, most people in recovery can remember a time when they had no idea what it truly meant to work a program, or even what it really means to be in recovery.
A lot of people who have struggled with drugs and/or alcohol have no idea what kind of life is possible in recovery, and have misconceptions of what to expect when they leave the drugging and drinking behind, so it is only natural there are myths about recovery that give paint the wrong picture for people who don’t know any better.
Opinions and rare experiences have a way of quickly transforming into stigma and mythology, but the recovery life is a lot less like those myths than you would think. There are 7 recovery myths you might know, and why these myths are not to be trusted.
- Rock Bottom
The problem with this myth is that it sets an unreasonable expectation of needing to have your own horror story to qualify for recovery. The idea of “hitting rock bottom” is not completely false, we all have to decide when enough is enough, but the problem is that some people act as if this experience has to be a complete disaster that destroys a person financially or domestically.
Not everyone has to suffer an intense physical, financial, or even mental trauma to reach a bottom. You can recover, whenever you decide you have had enough suffering. Some bottoms are emotional, not so much tangible evidence of a problem.
- DOC
DOC is the ‘Drug of Choice’ that people talk about; the drug an addict prefers to others and what brings them to the ‘bottom’ we just talked about. Some people believe their DOC is their only problem. They assume if they’re a heroin addict they just have to give that up, but not drinking or other drugs.
This myth is dangerous because then people will substitute one substance for others, and their addiction will transform and continue to destroy their life. Sure a DOC is a thing, but it is not the only problem.
- Abstinence
Abstinence is an important part of recovery, but to be in recovery does not mean to just be abstinent. Sure, in early recovery you may hear things like ‘just don’t use/drink no matter what,’ but real recovery is about a lot more than just not doing something.
Yes, that means you have to do stuff.
It doesn’t seem very fulfilling to spend the rest of your life avoiding something. Recovery means taking action. It’s working a program, developing relationships and principles, and growing and contributing to others.
- Cured
Recovery is a cure right? You only need to do a couple things once, and you will have the addiction complete removed forever right?
Sorry… nah!
This idea kind of goes with abstinence, but recovery is not a ‘cure’ in the sense that it fixes you overnight and you can go about your business as if drugs or alcohol were never an issue. For recovery we have to continue to take action and continue to work our program.
- Required Religion
Spirituality is something you are bound to hear about in relation to recovery, but the myth attached to it is that religion becomes a requirement. That is, however, not the case.
Recovery in a lot of 12 step fellowships, or just in a holistic sense, often incorporates some level of spirituality. But this does not require anyone to join any church or follow a specific religious practice. Recovery simply suggests that a spiritual aspect is important to finding a fulfilling life without the need of drugs or alcohol to feel complete.
- Willpower
Some people think you “just have to want it” and that’s it. Unfortunately, for the “real deal” addict or alcoholic it is never that simple. If everyone who wanted recovery got it just by wanting it we wouldn’t see thousands of addicts dying every day.
A lot of people with conviction and resolve cannot bring themselves to will their way through recovery. It goes back to taking action, accepting help and humility, and building some type of spiritual life.
- Relapse in Recovery
Relapse happens, but it does not have to.
Sometimes you hear people say ‘relapse is part of recovery,’ and in some cases this proves true, but relapse is never a necessity. Recovery does not require relapse, and some people never do.
On the other side of that, continued relapse does not make someone a hopeless case. Relapsing can happen to anyone, it doesn’t mean they will never truly recover. It doesn’t even mean they don’t want to recover, it can just mean more action needs to be taken.
I relapsed, I know people who have relapsed multitudes of times. Those who relapse are not hopeless. It is not a shock when addicts drink or use drugs in my experience, it is a miracle every single day that we do not. So if you know someone who relapses, don’t give up on them. If you relapse, don’t give up on yourself, and if you haven’t relapsed don’t expect to. Believe in the process of recovery, not the myths.
The myths of recovery sometimes keep people on their toes, but they do more damage sometimes than they do good. These misconceptions can frighten people away from their opportunity to change, and it could be the difference between life and death. Recovery is real, and real recovery means more than the tall tales some people tell.
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