Addiction is a disease of immeasurable loneliness. Most, if not all of us who have suffered can completely relate. I remember in 2007, I was 60 or 70 days sober a giant of a man about 6’6” tall looked down at me and said with his deep voice, “you don’t ever have to be alone again or get loaded again, even if you want to.” That meant the world to me at the time, now more than 17 years of continuous sobriety later those words are just as meaningful. It wasn’t so much what he said, but how he said it. The man spoke in a deep voice that was both loving and kind, from that point on I felt a part of something so much greater and important than I could ever be.
In my experience I have seen countless numbers of people come and go, leaving the program of recovery either to A: Keep drinking and using drugs or B: Attempt to stay clean and sober on their own. If your life has become unmanageable from drinking and drug addiction and you are powerless over the substances, it is more than likely you qualify for a twelve-step program that has saved more lives than any other program of recovery in history. Although I thought I was just a drug addict, I learned that I am also an alcoholic, either substance if used will kill me so I accept it completely- that opens the door of recovery for us, when we admit we have a problem and need help.
For the people who have gone back to drinking/using I have easily known more than three hundred who have died, minimum. I know of two, that is right, only two who are still sober but from my conversations with them, they are completely insane because they only have “physical sobriety.” Being physically sober is not enough for, nor is it enough for most people who are in recovery. We are all seeking the second part of sobriety which is “emotional and spiritual sobriety.” For the first couple years in recovery it was all about me just staying sober, over time I have come to find that I have grown into a decent man, with purpose joy and a meaningful life- this is all a direct result from being a part of a twelve step program, good sponsorship, a higher power, and helping others to recovery.
All this stuff sounds so odd when we are in early recovery. Which is why it is vital for us to always be welcoming, loving and kind towards the person who is newly sober. If you are still active in the disease and reading this, and you have some fear about what your recovery looks like that is normal! The beautiful thing is you do not have to travel the path of recovery by yourself. At Prospect Hill, we help you with loving care from day one until the day you leave, armed with the tools to help further your personal recovery.
You don’t ever have to be alone again…and you don’t have to figure out recovery alone. We do it all together, there is nothing needed but for you to show up and ask for help, we will help guide you with the rest. 😊
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