Recovery is a time of renewal and healing. When a person is addicted to drugs or alcohol, their life often has become out of order, and most recovering addicts must face some kind of loss while they are in recovery. The reality of addiction is that it places an addict in a position where there are a number of harmful decisions made.
This is because the nature of addiction is that an addict begins to place more import on finding and using drugs or alcohol than on any other aspect of their life. Because of this, very important relationships or life functions may be damaged. It is very important to deal with loss and the many forms it can take while in recovery. Dealing with loss is an integral part of healing to the point that sobriety and serenity can be found.
Grief and Processing Emotion
Part of experiencing any loss is coming to terms with the emotions that surround it. When an addict is using, they generally become accustomed to dealing with emotions by using drugs, alcohol, or other addictive behaviors to numb them.
Once the recovery process begins, however, an addict begins to experience the full sensations associated with his emotions. In the case of loss, often a person who is newly sober will experience intense grief or sadness. It is important that a recovering addict allows himself to fully process this sadness for a number of reasons.
Dealing with these issues head on allows an addict to get to the root of the loss they have experienced and to thus give themselves the ability to move on rather than numbing feelings of grief with drugs or alcohol.
Learning to deal with grief by working through the feelings around it also allows a newly recovered addict to strengthen the skill of dealing with emotions in a healthy way.
Moving Forward With Strength
Loss is one of the most difficult life events to work through. Loss of a relationship, loss of a loved one, and loss of a job are all serious life events that take proper work and support to work through.
It is very important that in the aftermath of a serious loss, a person has the tools they need to move forward and to rebuild their life in a healthy way. This is why it is so important to deal with loss in the context of recovery.
In recovery, a recovering addict has access to the counselors and therapists who can help an addict start to recognize old unhealthy behaviors and to start to set up new behaviors that will serve them well in their new healthy life.
While loss is an incredibly difficult thing to process, it also represents a new start and a new way of viewing things and of behaving in general. It is important that a recovering addict has the support they need to ensure that they will be able to continue to grow, even in the face of feelings like anger, sadness, or guilt.
Finding Clarity
As a recovering addict begins to pay more attention to their emotions, they are also able to recognize why they feel a certain way and what they could possibly to do deal with emotions in a safer or healthier way. Like any other skill, the process of becoming more emotionally aware takes discipline and focus.
It also requires commitment and a strong desire to find a healthy and happy life. In time, it is possible for even the deepest and most severe wounds to heal. In recovery, an addict can find peace, strength, and closure.