Picking up the pieces after feeling like you’ve trashed your life is one of the hardest things to do. It requires courage, resilience, and humility to face your own demons while moving forward in life. Many who complete a 30-, 60- or 90-day treatment program may be at risk for relapse if they don’t fill their lives with something more meaningful, such as connecting to a cause greater than themselves.
“He who has a why can bear any how.” – Dr. Viktor Frankl, Holocaust Survivor”
5 Factors That Work Against You When Starting Life Over
For many people who are going through the process of recovery, they may feel a myriad of thoughts and emotions that work against them:
Difficulty believing they can build a brand new life from scratch
Low self-esteem, poor self-image
Abysmal, piercing emptiness
Emotional pain that’s been subdued by drug and alcohol addiction
Cyclical thought patterns that imprison clients in their own mental cage
Finding Your Meaning and Purpose In Life
According to a case study, the presence of meaning in life is a possible resilience factor against suicide.
“Likewise, with substance abuse addiction, having a sense of purpose is a protective factor against relapse.”
Without the drugs to fill that void, people need something else that will satisfy them spiritually, emotionally and mentally. Those things can be found perhaps in connecting to a greater cause, such as fighting against human trafficking, advocating for others who are going through substance abuse issues or volunteering at a senior center to ease some of the loneliness experienced by countless elders.
How to become an advocate against substance abuse
Become a volunteer for senior citizens
Preparation for Life After Recovering from Addiction
In view of possible relapse after treatment, New Method Wellness effectively combines clinical and holistic evidence-based practices to equip clients with meaningful tools. The purpose of integrating adjunctive treatment is to help the whole person, not just the symptoms of the substance use disorder or co-occurring disorder. Holistic therapy opens up doors to endless possibilities, such as helping people discover new interests in art, history or a sports activity. Perhaps the recovery process itself sparks a passion in clients that inspire them to go back to college to become a substance abuse counselor. Holistic therapy works because evidence has shown that self-discovery plays a significant role in one’s recovery process (e.g., discovering one’s creative talents via art therapy). Our addiction therapists help clients identify goals and connect them to something more meaningful after they complete a treatment program at New Method Wellness.
