Recovery can be a volatile beast. Even with a rock-solid plan and all the components in place, there will probably be instances of panic, uncertainty, and, confusion. Everyday life can be stressful; nobody is immune to letting stresses get to them. Recovery, though, requires a special kind of attentiveness when it comes to stress. Recovering addicts have to go above and beyond to avoid stress and maintain emergency protocol in case of unexpected stress. Otherwise, relapse is inevitable.
Support groups serve as safety-nets. They’re not about getting better, but staying better: actively asserting your sobriety, even when things are going well. For this purpose, most are peppered with recovery slogans: simple, effective sayings that help us maintain positivity, affirmation, and pride.
Here are 5 Common Recovery Sayings
One Day At a Time
Perhaps the most common recovery quote heard in meetings everywhere, this one is especially helpful for addicts in the beginning stages of recovery. The thought of never using again can be downright overwhelming, but the thought of not using today – that’s doable. Don’t worry and fret over the many days that lie ahead. Just do today.
HALT
Hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness – the origins of relapse. While experiencing any of these particular feelings, addicts learn, you should ask yourself “Why?” That way, instead of jumping right into drug use, you can figure out – and thus solve – the reason you’re feeling low. Hunger and Tiredness can easily be remedied by seeing to your physical needs. Anger and Loneliness require deeper introspection in order to come to terms with the cause and a suitable coping solution.
FEAR
Another acronym, FEAR – “false evidence appearing real” – deals with the old stories and false beliefs that take up our attention and cause us fear. Before we can move forward, we have to let go of the misleading beliefs that led us down the path of severe substance addiction. Just because something once seemed true, doesn’t mean it still is. Peer deeply into what’s before you, using your whole brain to make decisions.
Letting Go and Letting God
You don’t have to believe in god to benefit from the 12 steps; it’s a spiritual foundation at its core, not a religious one. The point is to accept that we lack self-control – that, currently, there are stronger forces at play in our brains and environments – so that we can figure out how to increase our own discipline and avoid making subconscious choices by default. Let go of what you can’t control and, with serenity and humility, allow a higher and great power to guide you. This can mean trusting your support group and sponsors, or simply to stop wrestling God for control of your life and just let yourself be led to higher causes, not baser instincts.
Progress, Not Perfection
Perfection, like control, shows its ugly head here and there during the recovery process. The reality of recovery is that it’s full of pot-holes and patches of black-ice. We stumble, we slip, and often we slide far off-course. When it happens, all you can do is get back on the road. No one is a perfect angel; we’re all flawed humans capable of making mistakes. We just do the best we can each day, one step at a time, always forward.
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