Learning About Yourself in Recovery
In active addiction—especially for people who started drinking or using early—it’s hard to form a sense of self. Your self during that time is under the influence of or recovering from substances. Addiction often stunts your emotional development. In recovery, you learn who you are without substances. This can seem overwhelming—especially in early sobriety—but it […]
Taking Time to Acknowledge Growth in Recovery
In my experience, there is a lot of forward momentum in recovery. I’m constantly looking to grow and learn—making up for lost time from my years in active addiction. Growth in recovery is wonderful and intrinsically motivating. However, we can’t keep going and going without pause. The Importance of Pausing It’s important to stop sometimes […]
Focusing on Your Strengths in Recovery
In my experience, recovery shows you strengths you either didn’t know you had, or weren’t able to carry through on. While becoming more self-aware when you’re sober can show you where you might need to grow, that doesn’t mean fixating on your perceived flaws. Playing to your strengths—and the strengths you’d like to have—can be […]
Self-Advocacy in Recovery
Active addiction can make you feel out of control and unsure of who you are, which means many of us learn self-advocacy when we get sober. You can’t ask for what you need when you don’t know what that is. It’s important to learn what’s best for your recovery and advocate for it, because what […]
Building Self-Awareness in Recovery
Self-awareness is an important part of recovery. Learning about both what triggers and what centers you can help you make healthy choices for yourself. Self-awareness also helps all your relationships with other people, improving quality of life and increasing your motivation to stay sober. Reconnecting to Yourself After Active Addiction It can seem like self-awareness […]