Addiction was your life, but now it’s over. The strength you have nurtured to this point has seen you through the worst of it. Now, you are left with the future and it will be what you make of it. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Although it’s not a new adage, it is a profound one. It is one that can be renewed every day and it will still be true.
Depending on who you ask or what you read, you might think that recovering and recovered are interchangeable words for those who were addicts. It doesn’t seem like a big difference between the two, just a different suffix. The implication is a major one. Recovered implies that it is a job that is finished, complete with no more work that needs to be done. That simply is not true.
Recovery occurs over time, it is a process that allows the addict to grow healthier in body, mind and spirit. It is a constantly changing time in your life that requires ongoing effort and hard work. Physical and emotional wellness especially in your relationship with others is a way to measure and mark your progress.
Although you have made the commitment to end your addiction, you are still vulnerable to a relapse. Recovery requires sustained effort and thus is never done. The term recovering allows you and others to recognize that you are a work in progress. There may be some bumps in the road, but all will know that you are working towards making things better.
Using the word recovered may give you a sense that you are cured and you may be lulled into thinking that you are ready to go back to casual use of drugs or alcohol. Don’t be fooled into believing that you can go back to that place and time where the use of drugs or alcohol did not cause you problems. Your addiction changed the physical makeup of the brain and it is not something that you can undo. For you there is no such thing as using in a controlled fashion.
If you have found an effective way to deal with a drug or alcohol problem, please let us know. If you have any thoughts you would like to share on this blog, we would love to hear from you. If you know someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol and they are looking for help, send them to A Better Tomorrow. The road to recovery is just a phone call away.
If you need help, are struggling with an addiction, or know of someone who is, please contact A Better Tomorrow Treatment Center today. We are here to help.
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http://www.24houraddictionhelp.org/
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I thought the words meant the same thing, but I can see now that I thought wrong. It makes sense now that you've explained it so well.
ReplyDeleteBeing a recovering addict myself, I know the difference in the two words. It is a fine line, but definitely discernable.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely recovering. I thought I was recovered and that I could handle a recreational dose of my favorite drug. I ended up in the pits again and had to return to treatment. I won't make that mistake again.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first saw the title I immediately thought recovered. After reading the article, I've changed that to recovering. I can see why they are not interchangeable terms. Keep up the great work. I visit your site several times a month!
ReplyDeleteRecovered sounds so final and it would feel like unbearable pressure was being put on me not to fail. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I see the difference and recovering works for me.
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