There Is No "Right Way" To Do Recovery
Recovery Tools from Asana Recovery, June 21, 2023
By the time we get to treatment at Asana Recovery, most of us have not only been through the wringer - and not just in terms of our addiction. Very likely, we’ve also been through a veritable obstacle course of treatments, programs and therapy/medical modalities.
In search of relief from our disease, most of us have tried a huge assortment of “cures.” We’ve tried hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, new religions. We’ve gone to silent meditation retreats and fitness boot camps. We’ve committed to extreme diets, swearing off sugar or processed food or meat. We’ve made various vows to stay sober - to ourselves and others - that somehow couldn’t seem to hold up to our addictive compulsions.
The irony is, that many of our attempts to remove our addiction may have benefits, even if they end up not being the solution for all our problems - or not adequate when used as our only recovery tool. In fact, most people with long-term recovery use a combination of tools, programs and lifestyle changes to maintain their sobriety. So, how do you figure out if a program or activity is worth including in your sober life?
There’s no copyright on recovery
The truth is, there’s no “right” way or “only” way to get - or stay - sober. Nobody has a copyright on recovery. While Alcoholics Anonymous is one of the oldest - and statistically one of the most effective - programs for alcoholism, there is no such thing as a guaranteed solution that’s 100% effective for everyone. In fact, one of the things you’ll hear at AA meetings is “take what you want and leave the rest.” In short: use the things that work for staying sober and let go of things you don’t find helpful.
That also leaves you free to combine tools or elements from different programs or therapies to create a patchwork quilt that will help support your recovery efforts.
A Patchwork Quilt
Substance Use Disorder is a disease. While it can’t be cured, we can take actions that keep our disease “in remission” one day at a time. Like many diseases, making gradual changes to our lifestyle in multiple ways is often more helpful than any single “solution.” Some treatments and skills that are helpful in combatting addiction include:
Counseling
Skills training to deal with addiction and mental illness, particularly Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT).
Support groups with people in recovery (12-Step groups like AA or NA or Refuge Recovery are some examples). If you try a support group and don’t like it, try a different one!
Exercise and getting adequate sleep. Both are essential for optimal physical and emotional health.
Healthy ways of coping with stress, including meditation, enjoyable pastimes, social connection and spiritual activities.
Certain medications when used according to prescribing guidelines from a doctor who understands addiction treatment and your particular mental/emotional challenges.
Finding things that are rewarding and helpful in our recovery efforts can be stimulating, kind of like a scavenger hunt. It can also be a type of creative expression, living a life of spiritual patchwork that is as unique as you are. The most important thing to remember is this: we don’t give up on recovery because a program or activity doesn’t work for us! We just give up on that particular element of recovery.
When you’re sober, you’re free to make your own choices. You can choose one or many of the options listed - or discover your own - to create a lifestyle of recovery that works for you!