You are more than your addiction. It’s true that you’re struggling with an addiction right now, but that doesn’t mean you’re only an addict, nothing more. You’re a person. And there’s always hope for everyone.
Fighting a Disease
Think of someone who has a condition like heart disease. We don’t say they’re now just heart disease victims; they’re still people. They’re people who have many good qualities, many different skills and interests, and one of their situations just happens to be a fight against a disease.
And it’s the same with you. You’re a person. You have a name. You have had other hobbies and relationships. As you go through addiction recovery, your other interests and personality traits will become more visible, and your addiction will get smaller and smaller.
Do you see no way out of addiction right now? That’s the addiction talking. Addictions always seem to claim there’s no hope; that’s how they keep us trapped. But the addiction is just one part of you. You are much more than it. Since you’re able to read this, you have the ability to learn and to grow.
Committing to Recovery
Imagine addiction recovery like restoring an old-fashioned, boarded-up theater. What would you do if you had that job? Well, you’d have to make sure you gave yourself plenty of time to work on it. You’d have several people helping you. You’d work together on one section at a time, applying new coats of paint, knocking down some old walls and putting up new ones, bringing in new seats, fixing the floor so it’s safer, and so on. You wouldn’t expect to get it done in a weekend or even a month. The job’s too big for that, but it’s doable. You’d just accept that it would take a long time and that each part deserves attention and care.
And that’s how recovery is. It can seem hopeless if you want the addiction to go away instantly—or if you don’t know what steps would make it possible. But people have gone through it before you and know what to do.
First Steps to Recovery
The first step is acceptance. Accept that you are struggling with an addiction right now, that you’re hurting. Accept that you made some choices before that caused this problem but that you can learn to make new choices. Accept that it will take time.
Accept that, no matter what mistakes you’ve made, you’re still a valuable person with amazing potential who can learn and grow, like thousands of others who have recovered.
And other people are ready to accept you, too. Healthcare professionals, counselors, and people in 12-step programs who have themselves recovered all care about each person who is struggling and will be happy to help. If you need personalized addiction help in Utah, please contact us.