When you talk to someone who has many years of recovery under their belt, it’s clear that they aren’t the same person they were when they were struggling with an addiction. They are older, wiser, and more aware. They’ve learned a thing or two about themselves and about others.
And all of this didn’t happen overnight. It took time. It took taking a few steps forward and one step back. In fact, the reason why trust is required in recovery is because much of what your life will look like once you’re completely sober is unknown. Much of what your day to day experience will be in five, ten, or twenty years is a question mark. If you’re standing in the unknown, then you’re going to have to trust. And building trust takes time.
There are many facets to recovery that require trust. For example, you’ll have to trust that your choice to get help is going to work. You will have to trust in those providing you services – your therapist, case manager, doctor, and/or sponsor. Plus, you’ll have to trust others who are walking alongside you – your peers – those who are working on getting sober too. If you don’t trust these parts of recovery, then anxiety and fear might start to take over and these feelings can begin to undermine your success. But more importantly, you might even lose trust in yourself.
Do You Trust the Recovery Process?
You can find trust in your recovery through the following experiences:
- You hear someone in your support group talk about an experience that’s very similar to yours.
- You feel a sense of relief when you’re talking about how hard it’s been in therapy.
- You feel supported by the professionals and peers around you.
- Although it’s hard making a change in life, you’ve been feeling a sense of hope.
- You have a sense that things are going to get better.
- You feel seen and understood by some of those who are attending your support group.
- You feel like you are in good hands when it comes to the professionals and support team around you.
It’s with these brief but meaningful moments that you decide to trust the road ahead even though you’re not sure where it’s going to take you. It’s with these moments that you’re willing to make the choices that support your recovery because, little by little, it seems to be bringing you positive experiences. And although these meaningful experiences are short-lived, the feelings that come with them can last a lifetime. In fact, for some people, it’s these little moments that create the inspiration for a life transformation.
But what happens, if you decide to trust the process, but one thing led to another one night, and there you are drunk and doing exactly what you said you weren’t going to do? Here too trust is necessary. If you’ve had faith in the recovery process up until this point, then it can help you here too. Trust doesn’t always mean making the right decision but it means that you are willing to return to recovery because you believe that it’s going to bring you the support you need.
Remember that it takes time to build trust. But once you believe that recovery is possible, then you can firmly move forward, even when you’re faced with setback and obstacles. Trust and belief in yourself makes healing possible.
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Vantage Point Recovery is a lifestyle management and recovery center in Thousand Oaks. We share mental health tips and other helpful information on the Vantage Point Recovery Blog. If you need help or support mental health awareness, please connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.