CHANGE IS PART OF THE JOURNEY

A lot of people, in an out of recovery, don’t deal well with change.  I know I’m certainly one of them.

I knew that coming back into recovery meant making a lot of changes in my life.  I had to adapt to a simpler lifestyle that is focused on my recovery.

Many of us struggle with the idea of change because of one thing – a fear of the unknown.  I had no idea how my life would unfold after treatment and this unknown was very scary for me.  In treatment, everything was scheduled and somewhat regimented.  I knew I had to maintain some structure after rehab and that meant making a lot of changes in how I lived, how I thought, how I behaved.  I had become very comfortable in the treatment centre and I was familiar with the routine.  Suddenly at the end of three months, I was free but in order to maintain my sobriety, I had to build a new, healthy structure and routine – and that meant change.

I have had some challenges since I got sober, but I have learned to face my fear of change and the challenges head-on.  A definite change in behavior for me.

Change can be exciting, that is how I am looking at it, otherwise I believe life would become boring and I would start to stagnate in recovery.  I have to accept the changes that need to be made.

The longer I am clean and sober, the better I feel about myself.  This translates into improved self-esteem which makes it easier to deal with the changes I have made and those still to come.

Changes that I once may have found threatening are part of my journey.  I am grateful for the peace of mind that has come with accepting this new way of life.

SC