Christmas Hero
One thing is for sure, the world can never have enough heroes. But what is a hero? The word “hero” comes from the Greek language and means “protector” or “defender.” Don’t we all like to be with someone in our life who protects us? Unfortunately, the word hero is often used in very specific cases, such as fire-fighters, police, or soldiers. Yes, these groups of people protect our freedom, our health, our well-being, and our country, but there are so many more people who fit the description of “protector.” One of the most obvious examples which comes to my mind is a mother protecting her children. This is not even a learned behavior, it’s really an instinct as we see it not only in humans, but also across the animal world. If a mother is dealing with a child’s substance use disorder or mental illness, this protection can get very difficult, as it is a challenge to protect someone who appears to not want protection. Addiction is a family disease and affects so many more than just the addict.
For a hero also means someone who rescues someone else. It can be the selfless person running in the ocean to rescue a child from drowning, but for me it can also be a person rescuing himself. Before we begin to rescue others, often we have to start with ourselves. Finding out that we need to change our life in order to survive is the beginning of the rescue process. Admitting that we have a serious problem is a great next step, and reaching out for help is for many the most heroic step there is. Would you consider this Christmas to be a great opportunity to rescue yourself? I think it would be perfect timing. Don’t wait for New Year’s resolutions, which are always broken anyway. Make Christmas your time of a new beginning and a new life and start treatment now.
According to Wikipedia a hero is, “…a person or character who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, displays courage, bravery, or self-sacrifice…for some greater good.” A hero is also described as a man or woman of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his or her brave deeds and noble qualities.
We can’t really talk about danger if someone decides to get help and enter the path of sobriety, but it still requires an enormous portion of courage even if some outsiders can’t really see this. For people who are fighting substance use disorders or mental health issues, this courage is one of the hardest things to find. “Just stop” or “Just don’t do it” does not work once someone went down the path of addiction, even if he really wants to stop. The brain chemistry is stronger than any willpower, and it needs a hero to be able to figure this out and accept help.
Battling the disease of addiction also often includes a battle against adversity, and we really need to put all efforts to break the stigma so that more people get the courage to come forward and get the help they need. Don’t let the stigma, shame and guilt let you stay home in your misery. Go forward and get the help you need. It is available and often just one phone call away somewhere. Don’t let people around you and their gossip stop you from saving your life or that of a loved one. Maybe the help you want is not accessible to you because of financial reasons, but there are still many alternatives available for you to attend and to get out of the addiction cycle and the downward spiral. Be pro-active and make phone calls, they won’t come to you, you need to go to them.
Heroes are all around us at any given time. Maybe you like to walk a little more mindfully through life and acknowledge the efforts someone makes to help and rescue others. I was recently in a hospital undergoing a knee surgery and felt as though I was surrounded by heroes. So many people helped me to overcome my fear for this surgery and went above and beyond to make my day just a little better with every single word or action. I felt overwhelmed by the goodness around me and I’m so grateful for every person who was there for me. Pain is real and fear is real. Both are very relative and very personal. Sometimes we can’t overcome our fears and pain ourselves, and we need the help of a hero to get where we need to go.
A hero can also be someone spending some of his free time working with charity projects and volunteering opportunities. How about doing a project for our youth to get them off the streets and away from bad influences? If we would give our youth more possibilities to spend their days meaningful and active, less would engage in any drug use. If you are great in tennis, offer low-cost tennis classes where kids can have fun instead of using drugs or playing video games at home. Use your talents and be a role model and a hero for those who have not yet discovered which way to go in life. We can be a hero by organizing a drug-free New Year’s Party for the local youth. If your home would not allow this, make it a community thing and ask a local church for room. Or get the young people off the couch and organize a running group. Prepare together for a Heroes in Recovery 6K or any other event near you. It is fun and a great alternative to spending the winter indoors. The more we do, the more success we will have and everybody can contribute.
Christmas is coming up soon, and usually people are in a very giving mood. We celebrate the birthday of the greatest hero of all time. Even though we should be this way year-round, it still marks a good opportunity to improve our heroic skills helping others. How about we all try a little act of random kindness to help someone who needs a hero in his life? I’m not talking about monetary donations, I’m talking about hugs, kind words, a phone call, a letter, and other ways that might help someone and rescue either his life, his health, his sanity or his well-being.
We at Heroes in Recovery like to encourage people to find sobriety, walk the right path, engage in an active and healthy lifestyle, and celebrate those heroes who do this every day by making the right choices. Submitting your story on our site can be a heroic act, as it has a good chance to save someone’s life. The closest way between two human beings is through their story. It is the moment when someone realizes that he is not alone and has something important in common with another person, when we speak the same language and understand each other, even if we don’t meet in person. Please consider to hit the “share your story” here on our page and give a few minutes of your time (you can follow a simple Q&A if you don’t feel comfortable writing) to become a hero for someone you never meet. If you already have hope in your life, give a little bit of it this Christmas season to those who need it. We can only keep it, if we share it. Be a Christmas Hero for someone today who may make his decision to accept help because of one sentence you shared.
I wish you a Merry Christmas, heroes. We do recover!
Susanne Johnson