It’s very easy to feel alone when you’re in recovery, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, according to a 2016 report released by the Surgeon General of the United States, one in seven Americans will face a substance addiction in their lifetime.
What that means is you’re certainly not alone. Take a look at one of the following blogs written by people in recovery.
The Miracle of the Mundane
Mark Goodson delves deep into the heart of what it feels like to give up alcohol and drugs. Yes, the false highs and thrills are gone. But they’ve been replaced with quiet moments of contentment and happiness. “The real joy, the jubilee, the miracle comes just frequently enough to inform me it will never leave,” he writes in one post titled “The Miracle of Suffering.”
Goodson doesn’t pretend like every day is great. Instead, he searches out the meaning to be found in everyday life. He is the opposite of numb. Rather, he is raw and open to all the emotions life throws his way, including the rewards of spending time with his two young children, writing poetry and his job as a teacher. “It’s not always fun,” he writes. “But, it’s satisfying.”
Mrs. D Is Going Without
Lotta Dann writes that, “To live as a boozer is quick and hard. To live sober is gentle and soft.”
Dann is a mother of three who was drinking wine every night before deciding to get sober six years ago. Her blog (which was also turned into a book with the same name) chronicles her journey by month for the first year of her recovery.
Dann’s tone throughout is chatty and conversational—and honest. In her first month of sobriety, she asks, “What sort of life path are you on if you are pouring so much wine down your throat?”
By her one-year anniversary, the thought of drinking had faded to the background: “It’s coming pretty easily right now. Just busy living and not thinking or caring about the no-alcohol thing.”
Understanding Addiction
Marc Lewis is a neuroscientist and retired college professor. But he also has decades of recovery from an opiate addiction under his belt, as well as his blog and two books on recovery.
Lewis writes in a scientific tone (he is, after all, a neuroscientist) but is also not afraid to get personal. “We are lucky as hell to be here at all,” he writes. “And suffering is just part of the process that brought us here and that continues to give us the chance to evolve and, hopefully, to grow more intelligent, compassionate, and beautiful.”
Hope at The Raleigh House
If you struggle with drug or alcohol addiction and are ready to make a change, we’re ready to help. Located in Denver, we offer 90-day treatment programs that address every facet of recovery, including physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Call us today or fill out this form for more information on The Raleigh House’s 90-day residential drug and alcohol treatment program.
