“If it’s important to you you’ll find a way. If it’s not, then you’ll find an excuse.”
One Main Key to Recovery is Willingness
There is a correlation between those people who have long-term recovery and their willingness to do the work to make that happen. Oftentimes addicts are sick and tired of being sick and tired and just want their life to change. They go through alcohol and drug treatment, either on an outpatient or inpatient basis and become clean, but when they exit their program they feel the pull back to their old world. They start strong in their 12 step program but then become unwilling to do the daily work. Being fully committed to your recovery and willingness to do what it takes, you will find greater success than those who are not.
So, What is Willingness?
Defined in the dictionary, Willingness is: “disposed or consenting; inclined,” and “cheerfully consenting or ready.” As with anything, if someone is willing, or has the willingness to put effort or go the extra mile to be sure to get it done, then it will get done…period. I addiction recovery, often times people will see what they want in others, and will ask for help and then work hard to do what that person did to stay sober. Those who feel coerced into do something may only offer a half-hearted attempt, or they may decide to sabotage the project out of spite. In order for people to be able to escape something like an addiction it is vital that they are willing participants.
Forcing the Willingness to Recover
No one can force you to get sober, or clean for that matter. You must be a willing participant in your own recovery. For those of us who feel forced or even coerced into recovery they will make a half-hearted attempt, or even look for ways to self-sabotage. When the relapse they might even say, “Well, it just doesn’t work for me. I did what you told me.” In fact, they didn’t. Some addicts feel recovery is not a life-long journey, and they treat it like being tied down. They return to their addiction when they start to feel more in control of what they were doing. “My usage just got out of hand. I am better now.” However, from time to time some addicts are forced into recovery, ie: either rehab or jail, or through an intervention with family and friends. Some of those addicts develop a willingness to succeed in recovery.
Stay tuned for more on Willingness.