Recovery means something different to everyone. Recovery by definition: “is a process of change. A change through which we live a self directed life and strive to become our fullest potential.”
When I think of it that way, it’s not so bad. When I was new to recovery, I didn’t like that word, “recovery”. I didn’t like being stigmatized with, “being in recovery”. It makes others think that there is something wrong with you, that you have to recover from.
Over the years, I learned that recovery should be something we should embrace, and not be afraid of. I learned these four things about recovery on my journey. They are:
- Health– for many, health can mean so many different things. For me, it’s my mental and physical health. My nutrition, what I listen too, what I read or watch. I can easily fall into relapse cause I can be powerless to my mood disorder. At the same time. I’m powerless to my substance use disorder as well. To where my life can be unmanageable. As of now, my life is beautiful and it’s in track to just keep improving. My mental health is the healthiest it has been and my physical health. Even though I’m losing weight and eating better, I’m still working on improving it. That’s what recovery is. Improvements from the day before.
- Home– this is simple for me. It’s my support network that I can rely on. My drs, therapists, family and friends. To me, they are my home. My safety net. With out them, I would be lost in my own head. They give clarity and guidance for when I need reassurance.
- Purpose– hope is purpose with recovery. Hope is essential for motivation and change. Fostering the belief of the possibility in empowerment. Giving you strength to move on. It allows me to think that set backs in life are merely that, set backs. Not failures. And I don’t have to give up, I just keep moving on. Cause even on the cloudiest of days, I know, I just always know that the sky is still my favorite color, blue.
- Community– this falls in hand with home for me. Not only just that, but like minded individuals who don’t have to feel alone. Knowing that someone, somewhere has been where they are on their own journey, and can be provided the tools necessary to tie back to the purpose they have, the home they built up, that can nurture their own health.
Without someone instilling that tiny, microscopic spark of hope into me when I was hospitalized, I may not be here today, I may still be mentally lost, or physically not present.
Recovery was frightening in the beginning, but that’s because hope was still new to me. Taking care of my health was new to me. Rediscovering my home and the damage I may have caused and knowing who may or may not be there was scary. And now building up a community of people is, well, inspiring. I’m a strong believer that people can change, and I’m a testament to that. Even though, I’m still “learning to love life, by living through loss and mistakes.” -Justin Furstenfeld
