Our Addictions are Traumatic and Destabilizing, Not Normal
When we’re struggling with addiction, most of us just want to feel normal again. We want to regain a sense of normalcy in our lives and feel reassured that everything is going to be okay. We want to be able to trust that things are going to work out for us. Often, we feel this way because we’re afraid to confront the disturbing abnormalcy of our lives. The challenges we’ve gone through because of our addictions are destabilizing, upsetting, and traumatizing. We may not feel like ourselves again for quite some time. In fact, many of us never feel quite feel like ourselves again. Throughout our addiction, what we’ve associated with normalcy was actually extremely dysfunctional. In recovery, we discover an entirely new sense of self and a whole new perspective on what we want our lives to be. We create a wholly new sense of normalcy that isn’t built on addiction, dependence, and neediness. The new normal is no longer consumed by our attachment to our drug of choice.
We Want To Go Back to the Ease and Comfort of Our “Normal” Way of Life
Clinging to the idea of “normalcy” is a way to avoid the hard, intense work of recovery. We don’t want to interrupt our regular lives, and we don’t want things to change. Closely examining ourselves and our lives is a terrifying prospect. Our unhealthy lifestyles, including our addictions, have become a source of comfort to us. We don’t want anything in our lives to be stressful or out of the ordinary. “Ease and comfort” are the keywords for any addicted person. We just want to go back to how things were, when things were easier. For many of us, this includes being able to use our drug of choice without anything to stop us. The addicted lifestyle, to us, has become routine. These familiar, comfortable patterns of complacency and denial are incredibly challenging to break.
It takes a very long time to realize that our typical ways of doing things are actually quite self-destructive. It’s time to recognize that we need to create an entirely new way of operating and living. Through the process of recovery, we can actually be happy and live freely.
The Guest House is a welcoming and supportive recovery home where you will be met with open arms, wherever you are on your journey, without judgment or expectation.
Call 855-483-7800 today for more information.
theguesthouseocala.com
3230 Northeast 55th Avenue Silver Springs, FL 34488