Finding Yourself In Recovery From Addiction
Jane is a 22-year-old girl, who just graduated from a university. She is struggling with finding herself and keeping focused on her goals. When Jane was 12 she loved to horseback ride, hang out with friends, play the guitar, she even started writing songs. She was passionate, caring, loving, funny, and loved being around her siblings. Even though her mother and father worked full time she still got ample time with them. Playing board games, going out for dinner, and going on family vacations are just a few things they did together.
During the evenings her mom would cook dinner and her dad would watch football, all the while heavily drinking beer. He would start from the time he got home from work until he went to bed. Her father was a great dad so Jane never thought twice about his drinking. She also never saw struggles between her parents due to his drinking.
Jane never witnessed firsthand the troubles his father’s drinking had caused him. That was, until she turned 22 and started having her own struggles with alcohol. Jane would drink every night after work and not stop until she went to bed. She would also go out with friends on weekends and party all night, this included drinking and using other drugs. Jane started realizing that she was not happy with herself and would hide those feelings by drinking and using. Jane forgot who she was, she spent so much time planning when she was going out next or where she was going to get the next bottle from that she lost focus on the things she once enjoyed.
The Importance of Knowing Who You Are and Finding True Happiness
Knowing who you are is a struggle in many individuals. Sometimes it takes a lifetime to figure out completely and that’s ok. The important part is figuring it out enough to be happy with your life and enjoy the small things, taking one day at a time and being mindful while doing it.
Jane used to enjoy horses and music; she was on her way to be a music writer, but she had lost focus of her dreams. Jane spent more time trying to mask the negative feelings and she had no time to seek what made her happy.
Jane started figuring out that the reasons her father drank was because he was unhappy and lost who he was. Her parents soon divorced after she left for college and her dad had recovered from alcohol, he changed jobs and led a happier life.
Jane realized that she was not happy anymore being the party girl and struggling with an addiction to hide those unhappy feelings. She missed her music and her horses that were still at her parents’ house where her mom still resided. She had not been to care for them or see them since she left home for college, four years earlier. She also realized what kept her away was her father’s alcoholism and the divorce of her parents.
To Move Forward You Must First Know Where You Came From
Jane decides that she would like to stop drinking and focus on being happy. She wanted to find employment with her degree and she missed her music, her horses, her family, as well. Jane decided she would enter into a treatment center to help her begin recovery.
Part of recovery is learning who you are. Even though Jane had an idea of who she was and what she liked but more than likely she has changed. A lot of time has passed and a lot of events have occurred. She had to rediscover who she was again.
The important piece of this story is for Jane to rediscover who she was and who she had become. Part of recovery is learning to be content with what is; taking one day at a time. To gain insight is to be mindful. Being mindful helps individuals learn to accept the very moment given to them. It helps us relax and find peace.
We can also find peace by taking deep breaths, writing, coloring, going for walks, meditating, yoga, or doing anything that is calming and peaceful, where you can be in your head and be content with what you are doing in that very moment. This also helps work through negative feelings and emotions, while mindfulness helps process them. Working through negative feelings helps weed through the negative to find the positive.
Utilizing Mindfulness Daily In Your Recovery from Addiction
Mindfulness is one of many holistic approaches to recovery. Being mindful intends to help you experience any given moment using all of your senses. You can use mindfulness anywhere: walking, driving, shopping, sitting at the beach, etc. Wherever you are, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Now open your eyes and explain what you are experiencing with touch, sound, smell, hearing and sight.
Experience the moment for what it is. No worries, just appreciation for a moment. Whatever comes up for you in that moment in thought, relax and get rid of it. Focus on the moment you’re presently in using all your senses. Mindfulness is learning to not let worries or feelings control the moment. Only you have control over you. You have the ability to make change. While you are in the moment of relaxation and appreciation, explain how you feel in that moment, even if it’s to yourself.
These moments are important to track. They can help discover who you are and what you want to be. Writing, drawing, painting, or doing something you enjoy can help you remember things you once loved, therefore teaching you a lot about the most important person in your recovery; you.
Sources
Mindful – Mindfulness Meditation: Getting Started
The Association For Addicted Professionals – Mindfulness And Addiction Treatment
