During the Q&A portion of a recent panel, I heard someone ask, “What’s the difference between surviving and thriving?” This is interesting to consider in general, but it made me think about the difference between white-knuckling recovery and thriving in it.
What Does Thriving in Recovery Look Like?
Like with anything, this is highly personal. If you feel like you’re on the right path and doing things in recovery that feel good to you, that’s thriving, even if it doesn’t match up with someone else’s version of success. On the other hand, you can be checking all the “right” boxes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you feel like you’re flourishing.
Putting the Work in
Recovery requires work, and it’s hard. But like Scott, who I interviewed for the Sober Stories series, said, “It should be a choice, not a chore.” There is a difference between things that feel hard and those that feel like a slog. Throughout recovery, you get to choose what you do for your program. That might change over time, and part of thriving in recovery is continually reassessing what works.
Flourishing in recovery often looks like continued growth. Things like going to therapy, journaling, meditating, supporting people in your life, engaging in new hobbies, or many others can help you make continued progress. Working towards growth throughout recovery doesn’t mean you can’t rest; allowing yourself time off and moments of calm is another important part of this journey. Often, recovery is about finding balance.
Community and Personal Well-Being
It’s hard to flourish without support. Maintaining healthy relationships and being part of a community are important. When we want to help people thrive, it’s often a community effort, which helps both the individual and the collective. Mutual support is healing for all.
Recovery allows you to work towards physical, mental, and emotional well-being, while expanding your capacity to give support. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s working definition of recovery is, “…a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential.”[1]
If you are struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder, there is help and hope. TruHealing Centers offers high-quality treatment for mental health disorders and addiction in facilities across the country. Our staff—many of whom are in recovery themselves—will help you build the tools to thrive in recovery. To learn more, call an admissions specialist at 410-593-0005.
[1] https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/pep12-recdef.pdf