Who Needs Recovery?
If a certain person pops into your mind to answer this question I wouldn’t be surprised. If you’ve already got some level of awareness about what recovery means and the healing it entails you might be thinking of yourself or a loved one. Maybe recovery has already brought a certain amount of restoration into your life or you’re hoping that it will. For a large percentage of the population this can be a question with a narrow scope that seems to apply only to drug addicts and alcoholics. And then of course for some the subject can open the door for finger pointing because it is often so very easy for us to judge the pain of others. Honestly, though, many people haven’t spent much time thinking about everything that might actually need healing, and the idea that recovery could be for everyone is something relatively new, even in wellness-minded communities.
I spend most of my time thinking about, talking about, writing and teaching about healing. Sometimes I’m just working on this in my own head, or sitting behind a keyboard, but most of the time I’m with people and we’re working on it for real. We’re working on ways to increase health, not just physical health but mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. It’s my day job, my hobby, and my passion to explore tools and options that promote fitness in every area of life. I like to focus on all of the ways that different parts of a person can work together to generate and direct the energy needed for change. Lots of people do this. There are many programs and schools of thought on the subject of recovery, but I believe no matter which path or process you choose the same basic principles can be applied for healing everyone and everything. If you think that’s too broad of a statement, let’s break it down a little further.
We are all spiritual beings hip deep in this very human experience and sometimes things get messy. I don’t think anyone is immune to some expression of the spiritual malady at some point along the way. I’m becoming more and more convinced that it’s just part of being alive. There are challenges that go along with living and those challenges can become overwhelming at times. If this state of being overwhelmed lasts too long, or the burden becomes too heavy, it can cause a feeling of separation from everything that is good. We feel alone, wronged, misunderstood, sad, frustrated, stressed, confused, maybe we’re just exhausted… I could make that list a whole lot longer, but whatever the case may be, in that separation we can become isolated from the world around us and at times disconnected from our true selves.
When we lose sight of who we are and the peace that is always available inside we can become physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually sick. How that expresses itself will be very personal. It can crop up in many different ways, at different times, and at different levels of intensity. There are no clear projections for any of us about how and when the proverbial dredge of this world will hit our own fan, but I haven’t met anyone yet who hasn’t experienced some amount of messiness in their lives. That messiness almost always includes varying degrees of discomfort, and in many cases it will include a whole lot of pain. We don’t necessarily get to decide how long it will take to dig our way out and clean things up. Sometimes there is a physical condition that needs medical attention and time to heal. Sometimes other people are involved and healing will require a change of heart, or even a change of environment. Sometimes it’s all on us and the healing will never begin until we change our minds. It will probably take some work but there is no doubt about one thing: we will be different when we come out on the other side.
For some reason most of us feel like we need to hide the painful parts of who we are and what we’ve been through. I’m still trying to figure out exactly why we seem to be so ashamed of suffering, but I do believe that no matter how well we manage to disguise it we are all wounded in some way. I also believe that the wound really is the place where the light enters. Life will find a way to make the space for change when it’s required, and the events and emotions that follow might hurt. We can wallow in that pain or we can identify the mark that’s left behind to signify the need for recovery. No matter what the injury, and no matter what methods you choose to employ for the healing process, the experience will most likely leave a scar. I don’t know exactly what form your scars will take but in time they will probably fade a bit. Whatever lingers on the surface will serve as a reminder of how you made it through the mess. How incredible, how beautiful and miraculous it is that we were made with the built in capacity to heal our bodies and our hearts.
One of the things I love the most about Heroes in Recovery is the idea that everyone has a story to share. It turns out that battle scars make great conversation starters, and it’s no big surprise that we all have them. Does that mean that everyone needs recovery? I’m starting to think it might. Yeah, actually, I’m pretty sure it does. With every passing day I become more certain that wounds and the scars they leave behind are an integral part of finding our way through this crazy, intensely challenging and wonderfully messy world. Even on the days when life isn’t so pretty I manage to be grateful for the reminders that put my attention on the Light that heals all things.
We break the stigma by raising awareness and coming to the realization that we’re all in this together. Somebody out there might need to hear how you made it through your particular mess. No matter what you’re recovering from your story can make a difference in someone’s life.
Any comments, thoughts or feedback left below are greatly appreciated! I would also love it if you shared this post. Feel free to put it out there any where you think it might inspire someone. If you are in recovery, or if you have a loved one in recovery, we want to hear your story.
You can help break the stigma by sharing your story directly on the Heroes in Recovery site and letting them know that Marta sent you. Or you can contact me through email [marta@wellnessmeetings.com] with your information and I can help you through the process.