Today’s the first of the month, so we might as well talk about new beginnings. Since this is a site about addiction and recovery, we’re all about beginnings around here.
After all, so many people think that drug addiction and alcohol abuse are endings. It’s true that they are destructive, but they do not have to be final. One of the amazing things about substance use disorder is the difference between the lives of people actively drinking or using drugs and their lives in recovery.
Their lives can be profoundly different. Substance use disorder can cause people to lose their families, friends, jobs, interests, health, self-esteem, and other things. But while devastating, these losses are not permanent endings.
If people find sobriety, they can regain their families, friends, jobs, interests, health, and self-esteem. Their lives can begin again. It’s no coincidence that some people celebrate the dates of their sobriety with birthday cakes. These people feel that sobriety is kind of a rebirth, a chance to start anew.
Beginnings are not always easy, however. When we begin new things, we don’t always know what is going to happen next. Some people might avoid going to rehab or seeking other treatment because they don’t know what’s going to happen and it scares them. Their drug addiction and alcohol abuse might have been harmful to them, but it was a life they knew. It was familiar.
Experienced professionals can acknowledge these fears and help people tackle them. Support groups can also help immensely in this regard. Former drug addicts and alcohol abusers had to face their sobriety and the new beginnings it brought. They can empathize with people who are just becoming sober. They can give advice about what worked for them (and what didn’t work for them) during these early times.
Beginnings can be great and they can be scary, sometimes at the same time. But beginnings are a heck of a lot better than the alternative.
