As you are now in the process of recovery, likely many things are flowing through your mind. You may begin to wonder how you ended up here or what you did to bring yourself into this situation. Of course, understanding the reasons you turned to substance abuse can help you heal.
However, understanding the reason you want to recover is just as important, if not more important. Remembering your recovery reason can help you maintain sobriety in the most difficult times.
What Is Your Reason?
Addressing your reason for recovery can be challenging. You may be in treatment because of the influence of a friend or family member. Alternatively, you may be legally required to seek treatment, or you may have chosen to be here on your terms.
Regardless of what brought you into recovery, you have a reason for being here. If you are not in recovery by your own will, you may feel high levels of resentment and anger towards others. We are here to help you address those feelings and discover your reasoning.
You may not be able to pinpoint this at first, but you likely have some level of desire to recover. Even if it is just to get out of treatment, there is likely a personal reason rooted more deeply within that statement. Think about what that reason may be and what you want to accomplish through your recovery journey. Your reason for moving forward in recovery may resonate with your meaning in life and help you to further develop your purpose in this world.
Finding Your Reason
Discovering your reason for putting forth the work to recover from substance use disorder (SUD) is important. Understanding this is a great way to motivate you to continue making progress toward your goals.
Use these tips and techniques to discover your recovery reason.
Consider What Motivates You
Think about the different factors that motivate you to be successful. These factors do not necessarily have to pertain to recovery.
For example, you may have a child and wish to be successful in creating a good life for them. You may have a close friend who is inspired by you and wishes to see you succeed. A parent may have high expectations for you, and you wish to make them proud. There may be a career or life path you wish to pursue without the distraction of substance abuse. When you have a responsibility, ponder what comes to mind when you work to achieve it.
Understanding the potential relationship factors that motivate you may help you to find your reason for recovering. You may also feel motivated by reward factors through other responsibilities within your life. If you tend to stay motivated by the pleasure of receiving a paycheck, eating a delicious meal, or something more materialistic, you may benefit from setting up a reward system for yourself in recovery.
Visualize Where You Want to Be
Thinking of where you want to be is another great way to assess your reason for recovering. Think of your ideal life. If everything was perfect in your life, what would it look like?
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What would you do for work?
- How would you spend your free time?
- What would your living space look like?
- Which hobbies would you pursue?
- Who are the people you would choose to spend time with?
By thinking about this question, you can determine what goals you wish to complete throughout treatment. As you consider your ideal state, you will likely be able to pinpoint how that state is different from your current situation.
Next, consider how recovery could help you to reach your ideal life. This can help you understand why you are here and why putting forth the effort in recovery is worth your time. These questions can help you determine how to manage your time to make the most out of your current situation.
Open Your Mind
If you keep your mind closed to the idea of change, it will be extremely difficult to determine why you are here and why you should continue recovery.
Instead, allow your mind to expand. Think about the possibilities that could occur through this journey. If you find that you are upset with your current situation, your mind will likely naturally resort to a closed-off state. Attempt to free your mind of this anger and open your perspective to accept your reality and make the best of it.
Using Your Reason
Once you have determined what your reason is for recovery, you can apply that newfound meaning to your journey. Understanding your reason can be highly motivational. It set you up on a path that is committed to success.
Having determined your reason, use it to set up points of reward throughout your journey. When you accomplish certain goals, have an outing with a friend that looks up to you or buy yourself the new pair of shoes you’ve been saving for. Whatever motivates you can be used to help you celebrate your victories.
Implementing rewards that align with your motives helps to reinforce your reason for recovery. Whatever your reason may be, you can increase your levels of motivation by using it well. Your reason can be used to increase awareness of what is important to you. Use this knowledge as power to continue your hard work moving forward.
Everyone ends up in recovery by different means. You may be here by choice or from the will of others. Regardless of how you ended up here, there is some reason within you behind why you want to succeed in recovery. Determining what that is may help you to adjust to being in recovery and understand where you wish to be upon completion of treatment. Addressing your reason can help you develop motivation to work through recovery and push you past moments of hardship that arise. To learn how to find your reason for recovery and use this to excel in your recovery progress, reach out to Dream Recovery at (657) 216-7218.