Maybe it was a phone call or a note that finally said it all. It might have been someone who called out addiction for what it was and that tipped the scales to seeking help for long-term chronic health issues that led to addiction. There are many ways it can happen, but diagnosis of a health condition changes a person’s life forever. Many people don’t realize the power in grieving the loss of health until they are in the aftermath of the challenges. It can be healthy to grieve this loss in support of seeking a healthier recovery from addiction.
Chronic Illness
Changes to a person’s body also affect their emotions and spiritual life. They go through mourning, acceptance, and sadness when grief strikes around health complications. A person may numb them with drugs or alcohol in an attempt to deal with the challenges they face. They may also seek to alleviate pain with medication, which leads to tolerance followed by addiction. Even when this was not a planned path, addiction can offer many lessons to a person when they look back on how to do things differently now and seek to live a different life without substances at the helm.
Releasing Old Identities
Everyone has an identity they put out in the world. They may be ‘strong,’ or ‘charismatic,’ and enduring all things. Life’s challenges won’t get this person down. Behind the scenes, they are struggling to figure out how to move past the diagnosis towards a healthier mindset. With the help of counselors, coaches, friends, and family, they realize grief is just a step in the journey. In recovery from addiction, they can go back to the start of substance use and maybe point out where it began or why. Once they accept the way they are now, they can begin to heal and move forward.
Don’t Fear the Loss
It is disingenuous to say people should embrace the loss full stop. It takes years for some people to really get their heads around being a certain way for the rest of their lives. They fear losing who they were and grieve all of the things they will never do. Chronic health issues, pain, and loss of health mean recalibrating to the present day and time. It means letting go of fear as the driver and accepting life is not what it was but it is still pretty good anyway. This helps drive resilience in the face of adversity and build hope for a healthy recovery.
The Guest House Ocala welcomes people who are struggling with addiction. We help you find what’s possible in the midst of what feels impossible. There is much hope in the midst of the struggle. Don’t hesitate to find your way to rehab if you are struggling. We will show you a better life on the other side. Call us to find out how to get started: 1-855-483-7800