What is the Key to Self-Empowering Recovery?
An approach that is self-empowering for addiction recovery is about looking at goals and seeing opportunities. This means looking for gains overall and becoming the person they wanted to become outside of addiction. People who do not accomplish full independence can keep moving forward in recovery and find deeper meaning and purpose in their journey when they feel empowered. The key is to look at relationships with the self and others to determine how to motivate yourself or a loved one to become more self-empowered.
Back and Forth
When dealing with addiction, there is a sense that things go back and forth, to and fro, until they settle into a routine. Relationships tend to do this because they fluctuate from time to time. It does not matter what they are, they tend to bring things out in people that can shift the relationship over time. Beliefs are not the truth, they are ideas. Think about how to build a solid foundation of centeredness that rests in knowing who you are and what you want. Thoughts can shift and move but you should be able to deal with addiction in a way that feels like you are going forward, not backward or stagnating.
Look at Beliefs
Harmful belief systems and patterns can hurt people in recovery because it holds them back from finding empowerment. It is easy to project insecurities onto others. The more ƒ a person is, the less able they are to think clearly. Humans create suffering out of beliefs they hold themselves. Until they stop looking for validation from others and work on their beliefs about themselves, they may always look for acceptance in others. Self-acceptance is one step towards self-empowerment. The only person that can change those beliefs is the person looking back in the mirror. It just takes time after long-held beliefs in addiction kept the person underneath from moving forward.
Go Deep
Don’t look to the surface stuff to be empowering. There are all kinds of gurus, coaches, and know-it-alls out there, but listen to the inner self and let intuition be a guide. It is harmful to look at others who know nothing about your story to let them speak truth into you that may not have the best intentions. Be mindful of seeking advice from others who may not have your best interests at heart. Seek out accountability partners and people who will help you stay sober and clean while also helping you find your true self and be empowered to be yourself. Start looking inward and those outward relationships will soon follow.
There is no one key to self-empowerment. There are many pathways to get there, but it starts with looking at yourself or your loved one to see what they need and begin to ask questions to see how you can be of service to yourself or someone else in recovery. Learn to ask the right questions and it may end up at the answer you’ve been waiting for all along.
The Palmetto Center is based on a Therapeutic Community model. We help people learn how to live free of addiction. Our community support provides structure while trained counselors offer life skills training and therapeutic techniques to help you move past addiction. Our program provides a special focus for professionals including chiropractors, nurses, doctors, lawyers, and more who need help with addiction recovery. Call us to find out more: 866-848-3001.