Every day in recovery requires a conscious and unconscious habit of maintaining healthy recovery measures in a supportive environment. Steve, a graduate from Top of The World Ranch, is an after-care expert in aiding your recovery. From facilitating recovery planning, men’s group, and mindfulness programming, upon exiting the Ranch Steve ensures you have the after-care tools necessary to maintain your recovery journey. When we asked Steve for his continuing care ‘must haves’ here’s what he had to say:
Action
Recovery is a dynamic word. Recovery involved doing. Synonyms can include discovery or discovering; simply living a better life. Growth and movement is needed to counter the complete stagnation that people often feel in active addiction. Recovery and living are the polar opposite of stagnation. Always take action!
Acceptance
Popeye said it best “I y’am what I y’am”. Accepting who and where you are right now in your life gives you room to grow, to see, and to work on the problem. A great and simple example that I often use is this: If I can accept the fact that my car won’t start it allows me to look for underlying causes and problems. If I don’t (or can’t) accept that my car won’t start I will continue to crank it over again and again until the battery is completely DEAD.
Motivation
You need to recognize and tap into your strongest personal motivators. I often tell clients that I recognize two motivators in life: sticks and carrots. My sticks are generally my past, a place and state that I do not want to return to. My carrot exists in the present moment and pull me forward into the future with hope and commitment. I ask clients to recognize what they are doing in treatment that makes them feel better, and to plan how they can take that forward with them into their after-care. Recovery can be hard work and is not all easy and simple, you need to identify those motivators and hold them close when things get tough.
Statistics
Clients are often inquiring about “success rates” and statistics they have heard about, regarding treatment and support groups. There are only two statistics that matter:
1. There are approximately 35 million people in active, successful recovery right now; and
2. All treatment and support group programs have a near 100% success rate for people that work their program as it’s designed for.
You are not alone in your recovery, and it has been done before. It should provide great relief to know you are not alone and there are footsteps that you can follow if you are prepared to listen. Never be a bystander waiting to see which side of the statistics you come out on, make that decision to be one of the 35 million and apart of 100% who utilize their programs to their potential to ensure active recovery is maintained.
Support
Throughout our client’s after-care sessions, they work to build supports they can rely on. For example, support groups/programs, counselling, transitional living to name a few. The list of supports is long but there are some that are tried and true available to everyone. Each client must build a solid ‘recovery routine’ that they consistently revisit and adapt as their recovery journey changes. Additionally, we encourage you to build boundaries to protect your recovery. Your recovery, support, and routine must be excuse proof and untouchable to anyone else.
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