Recovery Blocks and Assets

          I am often asked what it takes to enter, or stay, in recovery from addictions. There's no easy answer. But, there are things people can do daily that will help. I was reminded of this recently when I discovered the shallowness that many of my patients have about the requirements for recovery and how to maintain it.

          

          Recovery from addiction involves the life-long process of balancing those things that block a person from reaching their full potential against personal assets that can offset those blockages. The 12 Step programs of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) call blockages to recovery “character defects,” and those things that are assets are called “spiritual principles.” These character defects and spiritual principles are usually uncovered in a recovering person’s personal inventory that is embedded in Step Four of the 12 Step program.

         

          Here are some of the aspects of our personality that can be blockages to recovery; what helps to overcome it, and the corresponding asset (principle) that might be usedt:

• Minimizing problems; Being realistic about oneself (Honesty)
• Blaming others for problems; Taking responsibility for actions (Integrity)
• Isolating; Socializing with recovering people (Communality)
• Acting childishly and impulsively; Acting mature and sensibly (Discipline)
• Demanding of self and others; Having reasonable expectations (Patience)
• Playing it safe; Trusting others and taking risks (Trust)
• Not asking for help; Reaching out to others for help (Courage)
• Rigid thinking; Willingness to try new ways (Willingness)
• Negative attitude; Positive attitude (Faith)
• Self-pity; Gratitude for life (Gratitude)
• Resentfulness or anger; Forgiveness and peace of mind (Compassion)
• Focusing on outside problems; Focusing on treatment remedies (Introspection)
• Ignoring what others say; Listening to others (Respect)
• Not being in touch with feelings; In touch with and sharing feelings (Humility)

          So often, we get bogged down in the trivial pursuit of short term gains in a vain attempt to fight against negative, problematical areas of our lives. We often get overwhelmed by these negative forces and it becomes increasingly difficult to marshal the assets we have that can combat them. Far better is it to concentrate on enhancing assets in the long run.

But, there is hope. Recovering people did not become addicted in one day, so they often need to know that recovery cannot happen in one day either. But, it is possible to put stress on the assets of life, and the more one practices principles the more they become engrained as the dominate part of the personality. Essentially, this notion builds on the idea that a person has a fundamental choice as to how they will discover and address problems in their life. They can allow the negative forces to define the problem and, thereby, allow the blockage to rise that will prevent a healthy outcome. Or, the person can view the problem differently, acting out of confidence that the spiritual principle they hold will be able to address the problem. This choice is restored to the recovering person gradually each day that they remain clean and sober.

I regard myself as blessed that I have this kind of understanding and capacity, and it has served me well over the years. 

All the best,

Roger W.