Despite being a chronically relapsing disorder, sustained recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) is possible. As the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) notes, 29.0 million adults (72.2%) in the U.S. consider themselves to be in recovery. Although everyone’s path toward sustained recovery is unique, some key elements support healing. One of the most important elements of recovery is engaging in whole-person healing across multiple domains of your life. Addressing the complexities and challenges of healing can support finding purpose in recovery for long-term wellness.
At Driftwood Recovery, we know the ability to engage in growing, changing, and finding purpose in recovery starts with taking an honest look at oneself. With access to a peer-driven approach to treatment and recovery, you can deepen your awareness and understanding of yourself and others. We are dedicated to an attachment and peer-driven approach to healing. In a vibrant and active alumni program, you can build a community of support that considers the whole of your parts for sustained recovery. Yet, you might question how you can engage in finding purpose in recovery.
Your challenges with SUD and co-occurring conditions can make finding purpose in recovery feel impossible. However, breaking the cycle of suffering in your life starts with understanding the complexities and challenges that can arise in recovery.
What Is Recovery?
Many traditional ideas of recovery focus on the physical aspect of addiction. Thus, traditional rehab programs often consider recovery to be abstinence from using substances. Although abstinence can be an invaluable part of treatment and recovery, it is not the only path or element of meaningful recovery and overall well-being. Recovery is a complex and dynamic process that has a variety of definitions. Each individual has unique needs and experiences that have a direct impact on what recovery looks like.
However, as Alcohol Research: Current Reviews notes, recovery is an individualized, intentional, dynamic, and relational process. At the core of recovery is a sustained effort to improve your wellness and support healing as a whole person. Thus, as the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) states, being in recovery happens when the positive changes and values you build are voluntarily adopted as a part of your lifestyle.
Despite being a dynamic process that can support a self-directed life to reach your full potential, recovery does not just happen to you. You must be an active participant in your recovery to reap the benefits of healing. Therefore, addressing challenges that can arise in recovery is invaluable to finding purpose in recovery for long-term wellness.
Addressing Challenges to Recovery
There are a variety of life stressors that can challenge your recovery:
- Transitioning from treatment to recovery
- Loneliness
- Co-occurring disorders
- Relationship conflicts
- Shame and guilt
- Financial difficulties
- Cravings
- Your sense of purpose
- Boredom
Your treatment program has given you adaptive coping strategies to address challenges like cravings and has encouraged you to utilize support groups. Yet, you may overlook challenges like boredom as potentially detrimental to your well-being.
Finding Purpose in Recovery: Overcoming Boredom
You may question how boredom could harm your well-being and contribute to relapse. Whether you used substances to self-medicate other challenges or engaged in recreational use, substances consumed your life. Most of your experiences and relationships became tied to using substances. Moreover, drug use leads to the release of large amounts of dopamine in your brain that feels like pleasure. Thus, substance use encourages you to repeat the behavior and reinforce substance use as pleasurable.
The combination of a lack of activities outside of substance use and its impact on the reward centers of the brain contribute to feeling bored in recovery. However, you can combat boredom by finding sober activities and hobbies that encourage the natural release of dopamine. Finding activities that feel good and are meaningful is unique to each individual. Listed below are some ways you can overcome boredom in recovery:
- Build a schedule
- Old and new hobbies
- Painting
- Cooking
- Gardening
- Get active
- Volunteer in your community
- Attend sober community events
- Practice mindfulness
- Connect with your peers and loved ones
Staying connected with alumni can help you access other tools like support groups and events to alleviate boredom. Moreover, staying connected to your peers, loved ones, and community can support you in finding purpose in recovery.
Life in Recovery: Finding Purpose in Recovery
By exploring activities and connecting with others, you can discover or rediscover your purpose in life. Finding purpose in recovery is equally important and interconnected to the challenges that arise in recovery. According to the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, a sense of purpose in life is important in overcoming adversity and improving psychological and physical well-being. Listed below are some of the benefits that come with having a sense of purpose:
- Motivation to behave in ways that are consistent with your purpose or values
- Increase your sense of hope
- Improve self-efficacy
- Support self-determination
- Encourage accountability
A lack of purpose in life, especially following treatment, can leave you feeling dissatisfied and bored. When you feel dissatisfied with your life, you start to lose hope and motivation to maintain recovery. Therefore, finding purpose in recovery is vital to healing and sustained recovery. Yet, how do you find purpose in your life?
Staying Connected: Finding Purpose in Recovery at Driftwood Recovery
Finding purpose in life is a personal journey. Listed below are some ways you can uncover your purpose include:
- Identify your passions
- Set specific goals
- Practice gratitude
- Build your support network
Thus, access to an active alumni program can give you a community of connections where you are supported in finding your purpose. At Driftwood Recovery, we believe a vibrant alumni program supports modeling healthy behaviors through connection to the self and others. With access to alumni services and resources like workshops, events, and support groups, you can find the support and confidence to lead a courageous life in recovery.
Learning how to build a life in recovery can feel daunting. However, understanding the challenges that can arise in recovery is invaluable to supporting sustained recovery. Sustained recovery goes beyond abstinence to include a commitment to improving your well-being as a whole person. Boredom and finding purpose in recovery are commonly overlooked challenges to recovery. Yet, boredom and a lack of purpose can be combated by engagement in connection with the self and others. By exploring your passions in old and new hobbies and connecting with your peers and loved ones, you can find purpose in life without substances. At Driftwood Recovery, we are dedicated to providing an alumni program built on connection. Call us at (512) 759-8330 today.