Change: A path to recovery

    Recovery can and does happen every day, one day at a time. You can see this in family and community and in community environments. There are people throughout our communities who are recovering their lives from chemical dependency, discovering and creating new lives for themselves and their families. Every day in Aroostook County people are finding the courage to change their thinking and behaviors around the use of alcohol and other drugs.
    The recovery process, the process of discovering and creating new ways to respond to the challenges of life, is hard work. It is both emotionally hard and time intensive work. The rewards are emotional, physical and spiritual health. Many in recovery experience rewards that far exceed being dope sick, hung-over or the guilt of another unfulfilled promise. The reward people in recovery seek is that of freedom from the control that alcohol and other drugs have over them.
    Just as the process from abuse to dependency is not a straight line or a specific amount of time, recovery is a process of transformation to which a timetable cannot be prescribed. People define recovery differently and it can be many things. For some recovery is the lack of use, “Mary put the plug in the jug” or “Bob does not smoke pot any more.” For others, the concept of recovery goes beyond abstinences to a goal of creating peace of mind and serenity.
    For most who have become dependent on alcohol or other drugs there will be a need to engage in cognitive behavioral change, meaning the individual will need to change thinking patterns and behaviors that support alcohol and drug use. For many the mental twists and behaviors developed as they became dependent will need to be modified or changed to support abstinence or the quest for peace of mind. If they do not work on changing their thinking and behaviors, the discomfort and emotional turmoil they will experience will drive them back to use of alcohol or other drugs. You just can’t subtract something as huge as substance dependency and not replace it with something else. The same is true for the family of the dependent person. The individual’s family or significant other will need support to work through the changes in behaviors and thinking they incorporated into their lives while living with a dependent person.
    The time needed to move from active use to recovery is a very challenging time for both the dependent individual and their family. It takes a great deal of courage, hope and support to push through the physical and emotion pain and confusion of this time. And that is one of the gifts of recovery, developing a support system, connecting with others to overcome a challenge.
    Supports can come in many forms: AA, NA, Al-Anon, church, exercise groups, direction from a mentor or counselor, a friend you can talk to, and a dog always willing to take a walk. There are many suggestions on how to create recovery in one’s life. I do strongly suggest that one of the most important concepts in creating change in your life is that most people will need the support of others to make the changes in their thinking and behaviors. Seek out others who have made similar changes. How did they do it? What behaviors did they change? Where do they find the courage to go on when things don’t change for the better? You are not alone; you do not need to do this by yourself. There are people in your community who are working one day at a time to overcome some of the same challenges you have. Seek them out!
    This article was written by Peter G. McCorison, LADC, LCSW, director of Substance Abuse Services at AMHC. The article was brought to you by Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention. For more information about ASAP call 521-2408.