What to Celebrate When You Are in Treatment and Recovery
If you are beginning detox treatment, there are things to celebrate. However, you may be wondering what there is to celebrate now that everyone knows that you are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Behind this thinking is a sense of shame and a pessimistic outlook on life. Maybe it is time for you to realize that no matter how adverse your life’s circumstances are, there are always things to celebrate. Doing so is not a matter of liking it or not, but a matter of choice.
There Are Always Things to Celebrate
The first thing to celebrate is that you have overcome denialism. Do you know how many people continue to live in denial about their addiction even when things in life are obviously out of control? Some can live in denialism for years. In general, people with substance addiction are naturally prone to denial, which explains why addiction persists for most people in the face of negative consequences. Some lost their jobs, health, and even their family. Denialism is unnecessary, ignorant, and costly. The fact that you are taking a step toward a healthy direction is worth celebrating.
If you are surrounded by supportive family and friends during treatment, that is another thing to celebrate. Not everybody has the luxury of family support, which makes your chance of recovery a much higher one. Do not take the support from your family and friends for granted. Instead, show gratitude and cherish these connections when they show up at a time you most needed them.
If you have not had many severe health issues due to addiction, that is another thing to celebrate. Do you know that long-term substance addiction can cause severe physical damage, such as to your skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, nervous, and respiratory systems and organs? For example, drugs and alcohol can cause chronic heart conditions, including high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat (also known as arrhythmia). They can also jeopardize brain structures, causing memory loss and personality changes. Depending on what kind of drugs you use, some can even cause cancer and other lung diseases.
Developing a Positive Outlook on Life
Celebrating life and progress upon your entering treatment is the beginning of a good and essential practice —nurturing a positive outlook on life. When was the last time you felt positive about life? There is power in this kind of positivity, which can effectively prevent you from relapsing.
You need to know that although your body is now detoxed from the influence of drugs and alcohol, other things are going on in your emotional and mental world that may keep you returning to addictive habits. A positive outlook helps keep negative moods and self-talk in check. Positivity is so important that some health professionals even call it one of the most powerful tools in addiction recovery.
The deeper reason for this is that many negative emotions have kept you down and dependent on drugs and alcohol. These include fear, anger, sadness, stress, and compulsive control. Because substance addiction can often have co-occurring mental health issues, many people with addictive habits tend to experience these as well as depressive moods.
Positivity is the key to reducing stress, anxiety, and even inflammation in the body, which shows how our body and mind are closely connected. Another bit of good news is that positivity can be learned. During treatment, the main job for health professionals and therapists is to teach you to detect all the negative emotional loops and self-talk that are happening in your mind, which always trigger cravings to use substances as a way of self-medication. They will coach you to be aware of these and then change the track to positivity.
Among many approaches, meditation and mindfulness are best in nurturing this seed of positivity. Once you build them into a healthy routine of your life, the flower of positivity will bloom and light up your world. Learning the new habits of pausing and asking, “What is positive about this situation?” can also be beneficial.
Building the Celebratory Habit into Your Support System
If you have a loved one who is beginning detox treatment, as family and friends, you can also help build this celebratory habit, which is one important form of recovery support. Some home environments need a detox of negative emotional energy, which manifests in unhealthy habits of blame-shifting, mutual criticisms, and distrust. Maybe your loved one’s step to begin treatment is also a channel for all of you to begin a new journey.
One way to become more celebratory is to always look for signs of positive progress in your loved one and your home environment as a whole. For example, you can celebrate the fact that all family members are on board in supporting your loved one. There are things about everyone’s life to be thankful for. Making gratitude a family ritual before family meals is a good practice. Most importantly, developing a collective positive outlook on life can bring all family members closer together.
Do you or your loved one need support for choosing and beginning detox treatment? Are you looking for a kind of intervention that helps recovering teens and young people overcome substance addiction and its many co-occurring mental health issues such as anxiety and depression? At South Florida Intervention, our professionally trained interventionists have helped many teens and young adults enter treatment and maintain sobriety. We know how to work with young people and their families. We coach young people to celebrate small victories on this journey and build a positive outlook on life. Our commitment is to connect you with trusted health professionals who have plenty of experience in all related areas on recovery from addiction. Apart from recovery coaching and parent coaching, we also offer detailed case management and sober escort services. Early intervention is critical, and we are here to help. Call South Florida Intervention at (202) 390-2273 today.