Did you know there is danger in doing well in recovery? This comes as a surprise to many people in recovery. So, you are probably wondering how doing well in recovery could possibly lead to problems. Here are some situations for you to consider:
Many people stop doing everything the program says to do when they begin to feel they are doing well. The 12 Step program works when people work the program. But, when you stop working the program the program stops working. Some examples include:
-Not going to meetings as often.
-Not going to meetings at all.
-They stop talking with their sponsor.
-They just attend meetings and never get a sponsor since they think they are doing OK on their own.
-They begin to ignore the advice of others in recovery since they think they are doing well.
-They stop working the steps or they never start working the steps.
-They try to work only the parts of the program they like.
-They hop from meeting to meeting and don’t have a specific home group which means they don’t have the accountability that a home group offers.
-They start getting cocky which can lead to many problems including hanging around using people and / or going to places where people are using.
-They begin to question whether they are really addicted which often leads to trying to use socially again.
These are just a few of the many possibilities. Did you recognize yourself in any of these? I think I have done most of these throughout my life. I have had trouble learning from my mistakes and as a result I have repeated many of these over and over.
When you begin to realize you are having some success in working your program of recovery that is the time to buckle down and work the program even harder. We have to stay focused on the program and the things that are working well and continue to do them.
My hope is you can learn the easy way (by reading this) to avoid these traps that I learned the hard way. But, if you are like most addicts you may have to learn it the hard way. Maybe you can avoid repeating the mistakes over and over. When you notice any of these behaviors or catch yourself thinking about doing any of these remember what I am saying in this post—stay focused on recovery, in fact buckle down and work the program that much harder. In the end you will be glad you did.
Blessings. I wish you a long, healthy, happy, STABLE Recovery.
Tim
Tim has a masters degree in Mental Health Counseling and is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor. He has 20 years of experience as a therapist working with mental health, addictions, and co-occurring disorders.
Tim states, "I am very passionate about living a balanced, healthy life in recovery since I know the benefits in my life and struggles with additive behaviors."