Find your passion after addiction

It’s no secret that addiction has spread rampant throughout the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control “Drug overdose is the leading cause of death in Americans under 50.” Addiction has been denounced as a hopeless malady, one that only ends in death, guaranteed despair, and illicit behavior. To the common bystander, this ailment has been synonymous with Amy Winehouse, disheveled appearance, Kurt Cobain, dirty needles, Charlie Sheen, and reckless behavior. The moral compass of said addicts have been called into question. Snowballing out of control, the effect of such ideology has resulted in the stigmas promoting this silent epidemic. Attempting to rediscover your independence can be overwhelming, in early recovery, but it is not an impossible call to action. Recovery is an all encompassing lifestyle change: mind, body, and soul. It is quintessential for addicts to plug into their local sober support and maintain fellowship with other addicts as well.

First thing’s first.

Maintaining sobriety is the most difficult and the most important challenge you will face. Time is irrelevant. In the grander scheme of things, your recovery is contingent upon the work you put into staying sober. “Whatever you put before your sobriety, you will lose.” When embarking on the road to recovery, never forget to put your sobriety first and everything else will slowly fall into place.

There’s a secret society made up of the world’s “throwaways”, stepping out in love and successful overcoming seemingly fatal adversity. Laying down age old resentments, making amends to family/friends they’ve hurt, growing spiritually, and dying to ourselves daily to help the next struggling addict…is the remedy for any spiritual malady. Humanity, as a whole, would certainly benefit from the process addicts trudge in recovery. Get connected to a strong support network, preferably filled with other women who are trudging down the road alongside you. There is a sacred intimacy exchange when the addict divulges their deepest darkest secrets with another addict. An undeniable spiritual experience occurs during this process. Be rigorously honest and never be afraid to ask for help. A little humility is good for the soul.

Find purpose in your pain and persevere.

It is not uncommon for the average addict to have a glaring fear of failure and fear of success. Most individuals struggling with substance abuse have built up their lives, many of times, only to self destruct over and over again. Walking into recovery, many addicts have no idea who they are, much less know what career path they would be interested in. Take baby steps towards uncovering the distractions of your past and accept life exactly as it is. This concept can seem daunting, at first. Most addicts, in recovery, struggle with mental clarity.

Meditation is beneficial for individuals throughout all stages of recovery. Mindfulness meditation is specifically helpful to the individual seeking a total shift in thinking. Mindfulness meditation requires the individual to focus on the here and now, drowning out all distractions and stressors. The goal of mindfulness is enlightenment which refers to awareness, attention, and remembering. The individual should become aware of what goal/object they wish to achieve, focus on that idea, and ultimately remember and manifest the concept. Mindfulness has been attributed to lowering feelings of anxiety/depression, controlling the body’s reaction to stressors, aiding in pain management, and identifying/processing emotions.Mindfulness meditation.

Take fearless action towards rebuilding your life.

Addiction is not only detrimental to the individual’s health, traumatizing for loved ones, destructive to overall emotional well being, but addiction is the creator of chaos and failure. The unmanageability makes it nearly impossible to maintain a happy, successful life. Awareness is the beginning step in achieving growth and cultivating change. Do not be afraid to follow the lead of the sober support rallying around you.

Once you have taken the time to face the demons of your past, it’s time to take action. ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’ An individual seeking recovery shouldn’t expect change to happen overnight. Most addicts spent years destroying their relationships, careers, dreams, goals, credit, and almost every core value instilled within them. It would be foolish to expect all of these matters to be handled overnight. Begin by taking baby steps towards clearing the wreckage of your past. Build a resume. Show up at the seemingly impossible job interview. Create a budget. Answer the debt collector’s and try to work out a payment plan that works within your budget. Where there’s fear, there’s sure to be growth. Make a list of goals/tasks you want to achieve. Mark these goals off as you execute them and watch your dreams become your reality. Once you’ve faced your addiction, head on, the possibilities are endless.

Pursue passionate living.

Recovery allows individuals to rebuild and recreate their lives. Criminal activity and daily chaos become the norm for the average addict. It is important to remember that new habits must replace the old. Often times individuals find themselves indulging in old hobbies they participated in before picking up a mood/mind altering substance. It is important for the addict to stay true to who they are. If your job isn’t the most rewarding, indulge in activities that make you feel fulfilled. Find hobbies that interest you and incorporate those things into your weekly routine. As individuals participate in activities they enjoy the brain releases rewarding chemicals, which is a natural and healthy way to reach the desired effect addicts spend their days seeking.

Creative outsourcing has been proven to not only be rewarding but therapeutic for recovering addicts. Journaling, blogging, painting, podcasting, and writing music is a great outlet for productivity and fulfillment. Volunteer work is also a great way to get involved and relieve old habits. The Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous) tells us: “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. It works when other activities fail.” Helping others has been proven to cultivate instant gratification and overall improve mental health. Find your passion after addiction and live there, for nothing is more fulfilling than feeling as if you are right where you are supposed to be.

Tricia Moceo is an Outreach Specialist for Recovery Local, a local addiction/recovery based marketing company. She advocates long-term sobriety by writing for websites like detoxlocal.com, providing resources to recovering addicts and shedding light on the disease of addiction. Tricia is a mother of two, actively involved in her local recovery community, and is passionate about helping other women find hope in seemingly hopeless situations.