Finding Inspiration
Living a life in recovery is not easy by any means. There are constant triggers and haunting reminders that loom ever so closely. I would be deceiving everyone if I told them that I am fine 100 percent of the time. There are rough times. If it was that easy, everyone would have a perfect success rate when it comes to staying clean and sober.
When I am faced with difficult times, I look for inspiration in many areas that help me continue to live life in recovery.
When I returned home from treatment, I got less than rousing support from my family. It was not the Lifetime Movie of the Week ending in which the person comes home sober and the family hugs and the credits roll. My family was very angry and hurt. I had hidden my addiction from them for years.
My family is no stranger to addiction. The success rate of recovery programs does not have a good track record when it comes to my family’s history. Why should they expect more than what they had already known? Instead of focusing on the negativity of their reactions, I chose to look at it as an inspiration to keep up the fight and prove to them that it can be different.
Another way that I find inspiration in recovery is through fellowship with others in the program. When I was in an intensive outpatient program, I met a dear friend who keeps me honest to this day. Although we come from two different worlds, we share similar interests. We have kept in touch in the past couple of years and get together for dinner and a meeting whenever possible with our busy schedules. We met when we were both coming out of an inpatient program and we were very new to recovery. We have both grown together and share our support of one another as we continue to stay clean to this day. Her support is only a phone call away. Her friendship inspires me to this day.
My fellow lead advocates with Heroes in Recovery have also had a huge impact in my recovery. Recently, we had our training summit in Atlanta, Georgia. I left the summit inspired and ready to set the world on fire. These fellow advocates are the true epitome of healthy recovery. Heidi, the leader of Heroes in Recovery, is always pushing us to be the best that we can be. Her passion for the movement is never ending. Margaret, the no-nonsense advocate, is intellectual, passionate, spiritual, and can make everyone laugh at the drop of a hat. Abby is young and enthusiastic about getting her message out there. Marta, the recovery yoga guru, is a parent advocate that can connect with anyone and provoke emotion from the hardest of hearts. Chris, is the dedicated father and level-headed voice in the bunch who has so much to offer others in recovery. Susan is the parent advocate who speaks from her heart. Susanne is the interventionist who is always getting stories and getting others to share. We all make up a wide range of the recovery community. Their friendship inspires me in my recovery each day.
Like I mentioned before, recovery is not easy, but living honestly and making a difference in life is inspiration enough.
If you would like to share your story with Heroes in Recovery, there are two ways you can do it. You can hit the share button on the home page or contact me via email at bo@heroesinrecovery.com. When you share your story you are inspiring others to help break the stigma associated with addiction and mental health issues.
Much Love,
Bo