The Road to Recovery

by Peter Twitchell

Most young people really don’t understand yet the dynamics of being addicted to chemicals like alcohol. Some teenagers think that when their friends get an assessment for substance abuse that their friend is well. It is the first step toward working toward chemical dependency, understanding what addiction is and how you can learn to help yourself.

Substance Abuse is a personal journey to wellness for the individual. The assessment itself, may help clinicians determine where a person is in their addiction(s). The person can help themselves by wanting to change their drinking and drugging behaviors.

Only the person who wants to get well and change can help themselves.

They say you can lead a horse to the water, but you can’t force the horse to drink. Basically the same way with working the steps in treatment to become a sober and productive individual.

Staying in an addiction to alcohol/drugs can result in death. I just talked to a person in their 60’s today who had one foot in the grave just this past weekend. He drank too much alcohol and came close to Over Dosing.

O.D results in death of an individual. This is totally preventable by seeking help, and getting a substance abuse assessment can put you on that road to recovery.

In AA which is one of the steps to becoming a sober and productive individual, we say that we are recovering “alcoholic”. Once we’re sober, following treatment, we go to aftercare usually once a week with a counselor, attending faithfully at least 3 AA/DA meetings with other recovery individuals.

We are not on this lifelong journey to freedom from the trappings of addiction. We must be sober during this period of time and be able to hold down a job, and personal dependency. We do all the work to remain sober and productive for the rest of our lives, serving each other.

You will get there where you will obtain sobriety mentally, emotional, physically and begin your spiritual journey to love, peace and happiness.

Our healing process from addiction to chemicals like alcohol and drugs brings with it a truth we start practicing and living. Don’t give up this hope, Keep it alive.