7 Small Wins That Matter in Early Recovery
Recovery from addiction is a transformative process. It will change your life as you learn to live without substances, neither needing them nor settling for the brief and inadequate comfort they provide. It’s also a significant display of commitment for both you and your loved ones.
However, it would be disingenuous to imply that addiction recovery does not feel daunting at the start. After all, you are embarking on a journey that will take months or even years. You won’t have to wait until the end of the journey to experience the significant benefits, but you still might balk at the prospect.
The good news is that there are many wins along the way, even in the early stages of recovery. Whether you have not yet started treatment or have already gone through the major step that is detox, celebrating the small achievements can help you keep your momentum.
Here are 7 small wins that matter in early recovery.
1. Getting Through a Craving
If you’re only looking at the destination, it is extremely difficult to appreciate your achievements in recovery. You start to believe that, until you have been substance-free for months or years, you can’t have succeeded. But the reality is that, in the same way that life doesn’t work this way, neither does recovery.
When working your first job, it is natural to feel good about receiving a paycheck, even if your salary is nowhere near what you want to earn in the future. So too, in addiction treatment, it is natural to feel good about getting through even a single craving without using.
It’s impossible to know what will happen in the future, and you have no control over it right now. All you can do is deal with what the challenges this moment presents, and in getting through a craving, you have done so successfully.
2. Attending Your First Meeting or Session
Speaking about your struggles with addiction is not easy. It requires being vulnerable and trusting, a skill that erodes when one is addicted. Going to a session with a therapist or a meeting with other recovering addicts takes courage. Even if you don’t say much on the first occasion, showing up is itself a success. You are doing what most people avoid but secretly want to do – taking the opportunity to let your guard down and begin allowing others to truly see you.
3. Reaching Out for Help
Recovery is not a solo journey. It requires you to get support from loved ones or addiction experts, while contacting professionals for treatment. Reaching out for help is difficult but crucial to getting healthy.
Asking for what you need is tough for anyone, not just people with addictions. By seeking treatment and taking the first steps of your journey, you are courageously breaking down the barriers that prevent many from doing what is best.
4. Feeling Your Emotions
People addicted to substances are generally very sensitive, both to their own experience and that of others. This leads to strong emotions that can feel overwhelming, and substances become a maladaptive coping mechanism in an attempt to numb them.
In recovery, you begin learning to tolerate emotions, regulating them rather than trying to get rid of them. While many people think that feelings like sadness or fear are weaknesses, it is actually a huge strength to be able to let them be. By feeling your emotions without using substances to numb them, you experience a significant win.
5. Apologizing
Addiction is an illness that harms more than just the person using the substances. It has consequences for everyone around them, with the individual often lying, manipulating, and even stealing from the people they love. Relationships fall apart, sometimes irreparably.
Apologizing to the people you have harmed is an important part of recovery. It requires an acceptance of the damage your past actions caused and a desire to never let it happen again. However, it is difficult to apologize, even when you feel you have done wrong. Many people feel ashamed of their mistakes and struggle to speak about them.
Every apology should be celebrated as a win. It is an act of bravery, even if the apology is not accepted.
6. Putting Boundaries in Place
When you’re addicted to substances, many everyday situations or places can trigger the craving to use. During recovery, people may expect you to go about life as usual, not recognizing the dangers posed by these triggers. Saying no can be tough, as it is both an acknowledgement of your struggles with addiction and a decision that might make someone feel let down.
When you put boundaries in place and say no, you are making the choice to put your wellbeing first. It benefits everyone in the long run and should be celebrated. With practice, setting boundaries becomes more natural and your loved ones will learn to respect them.
7. Laughing or Feeling Joy
In the early days of recovery, you might feel a weight of sadness and trepidation. This is a journey not to be taken lightly and you are walking away from old patterns that, while harmful, were coping mechanisms for a long time. It is normal if you are feeling down and not finding much to laugh about.
This is why it’s so important to appreciate those moments that you do find yourself laughing or feeling joy. It is a sign that you are less numb than you were before and that you see the benefit of your journey.
Inpatient rehab is often the place where recovering addicts rediscover laughter and joy. In the company of other people with similar experiences, it is easier to let your guard down and allow people in. Healing friendships form through these moments of levity, when you are able to find the lightness in life.
Conclusion
The early days of recovery can feel daunting. It seems like there’s a long road ahead before you will get to experience success. But the reality is that there are many small wins along the way, even at the start. Remind yourself to celebrate the small victories when they occur, appreciating the impressive commitment you have undertaken.
Sources
Psychology Today: Is Emotion Regulation the Key to Addiction Prevention?