Many people avoid seeking treatment because they feel as though they have reached a “point of no return.” These can be physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual points. Many people also feel like they have created too much havoc, done too much damage, torn too much down to ever come back. This is a fallacy. There is always hope and there is always redemption in recovery. The key is to remember the phrase: “Embrace your past.”
Embrace Your Past: We Will Not Regret the Past
There is promise in 12-Step recovery that goes, “We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.” This is a promise that will come true over time, as long as we keep taking the next right step in recovery.
At first, in recovery, many of us will wallow in our past because it is so fresh. We may also have a lot of rebuilding and reconciling to do. But, as long as we remember the concept of “one day at a time,” this rebuilding will happen “brick by brick” until we have a strong foundation of recovery.
We will also learn that our past is something that can help to keep propelling us forward. We don’t want to go back to where we were in active addiction. Thus, the only thing to do is to keep moving forward toward our long-term recovery goals.
Embrace Your Past: We Will Not Shut the Door on the Past
It is important not to forget our past. As has been said in the rooms of recovery – “If you can’t remember your last drink or drug then you might not have had it yet.” This simply means that we must always remember how painful active addiction was, so we remember that we never want to go back there again.
Of course, this does not mean that we should be stuck in the painful past, but rather we should just retain a sense of past reference. This will not only help us to stay sober, but it will also help us help others stay sober.
Embrace Your Past: Our Past Becomes Our Greatest Asset
There is a reason why recovery meetings work so well. It is because the people there all have shared experience and are there for the same purpose – to recover from a “cunning, baffling, and powerful illness.”
Many people in recovery have trouble believing others who have not “walked in their shoes.” When people connect with others who have gone through the same experiences, they know that they have shared the same feelings of hopelessness, loneliness, and emptiness that only active addiction can bring.
For “newcomers” to recovery, they often don’t believe that other people have had the same experiences that they have had. This is also called “terminal uniqueness.” When they meet someone who has the same past as their present, they realize that they can recover too. This is how our past becomes our greatest asset. It becomes our ultimate tool of reliability and it can save lives – the lives of others and our own. After all, working with other people in recovery is one of the best ways to guard against a relapse.
Embrace Your Past: The Benefits of Past Reference for Long-Term Recovery
There are two types of reference in recovery, and they are both vital for long-term success. The first is the active addiction reference. As previously discussed, this is the reference that we have to how destructive active addiction was and can be again if not vigilant.
The second is “sober reference.” This is the reference that we have to how good life can be in recovery. It is also the reference we have to the shortcomings that we had to overcome in recovery. We must remember that we are all human, and just being in recovery does not mean that we won’t make a mistake here or there.
The key is to learn from the whole of our past to help us grow into the positive people that we have always desired and deserved. We must remember, our past is the push we can use to achieve greatness.
A Focus on Long-Term Success and Wellness at New Creation Recovery
The iconic poet Walt Whitman famously wrote, “Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.” This is emblematic of the joy of forward momentum in recovery. It is the joy of creating the world that we always wanted to live in.
Here at New Creation Recovery, we believe in long-term recovery over short-term “fixes.” That is why all of our recovery plans are tailor-made for each client and use a myriad of means, methods, and modalities for the greatest chance of success.
The road to recovery should be a joyous one. At New Creation Recovery, it will be.
At New Creation Recovery, we all have an opportunity to change. Part of changing is learning to embrace our mistakes and take positive steps to move forward. Recovery is all about the journey, never the destination, and our past mistakes can help us make better decisions on our journey in the future. If you feel like you or a loved one is struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or both, we can help get you on the positive path toward long-term recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this alone. For more information about becoming empowered by your past, please reach out to New Creation Recovery today at (877) 868-5730.