Addiction Treatment Centers » How to Prioritize as you Progress through Recovery

How to Prioritize as you Progress through Recovery

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Beating Addiction - How can we best prioritize in recovery?

priorities in recovery
Photo by John Edwards 2008

This the fifth part in a series about beating addiction. The first 4 parts were:

1. The secret of overcoming addiction and alcoholism

2. Transforming your life with a spiritual experience

3. Staying plugged in to recovery

4. Common stumbling blocks that might lead to relapse

The newcomer can become absolutely overwhelmed in early recovery. Getting clean and sober is a monumental task. They say that the only thing you have to change in early sobriety is “everything.”

If your recovery solution is the twelve step fellowship of AA or NA, then you are going to experience information overload when you first get clean and sober. There are so many suggestions, so many different things to do, and so many important things to focus on in early recovery. The people at the meetings will tell you that “it’s simple.”

It is not simple. Do not believe them. “Simple” would be a one step program that states not to pick up a drink or a drug each day–period. That would be simple. But the program consists of 12 steps, abstinence from drugs and alcohol is implied, and there are also a ton of other suggestions being thrown at you as well. “90 meetings in 90 days.” “Get a sponsor.” “Get phone numbers.” I went through this initiation phase myself, and I can assure you, it is overwhelming. There’s no doubt about it. This is not to say, however, that 12 step programs are bad and that you should avoid them–that’s not the case at all. They do offer a tremendous amount of concentrated support. But there is a real need to prioritize in early recovery, because without doing so, the monumental task ahead of you becomes overwhelming.

How to Prioritize:

1) The first 2 weeks clean:

Any addict who has been through early recovery knows that the very beginning can be excruciatingly difficult. Therefore, your only priority at this point should be physical abstinence from the drug. This implies a huge amount of things in your life that will not be a priority for a while–things like work, school, family, and so on. Ideally, spending this time in a controlled facility, such as a drug or alcohol treatment center, would be the best route for most addicts to follow. For the first 2 weeks, the focus should be solely on not using chemicals and the formation of a basic recovery plan. The benefit of rehab is that it can help you with both of these things. Look for a controlled environment to help you in the beginning.

Spiritual priority: Stay open minded and willing. If you are inclined to, start with the prayer and meditation. But the critical thing is to stay open to new ideas that might help you in recovery at this point.

2) Up to 90 days clean:

This is the initial phase of recovery, when you want to fully immerse yourself in some type of support system. For most people, that will probably mean attending lots of 12 step meetings, such as AA or NA meetings. For others, long term treatment might be appropriate. The key to success in this early stage is overwhelming force. Completely immerse yourself in whatever recovery program you choose. The raw statistics do not look pretty for this range of clean time (zero to 90 days), so you really need to put some effort in here.

Spiritual priority: Open up to the possibility that a spiritual experience can happen for you and change your life. Focus on turning your will over to a higher power, and letting things go that are beyond your control. Start appreciating the serenity you get when you stop trying to control everything.

Photo by Redvers

3) 6 months to 1 year clean:

This should be a huge growth period for anyone in recovery. You should be transitioning from “staying clean each day” to “living a full life of recovery.” Instead of focusing on the negative (don’t drink or do drugs), you should have replaced that mantra with positive activities, such as chairing AA meetings, socializing with others in recovery, sponsorship, spending quality time with sober friends and family, and so on. In other words, this is a return to real life. At some point, it has to stop being just about not doing drugs and alcohol and you have to start living again!

Spiritual priority: Gratitude is powerful stuff–it is the Kryptonite that can protect you from getting a case of that one-year-anniversary-relapse syndrome. If you are truly grateful for your recovery, then it is a good chance you will hang on to it. There is a ton of information out there for helping you to cultivate gratitude.

4) One year clean and beyond:

This is when “real life” became a priority for me again: pursuing a relationship, going back to college, finding a better job, and so on. The idea was that once I gained a firm grip on recovery, it was time to start focusing on personal growth in other areas as well. Remember, everything is spiritual, from jogging to playing with your niece in the park to taking a college entrance exam.

Spiritual priority: Help others. Period. If you can help other recovering addicts, that is even better. Nothing works more effectively than working with others for helping (me) to stay clean and sober.

Just for today, what is your priority for recovery? What are you focusing on in order to gain a better life?

Ask yourself: “Am I progressing?”