I think for many of us the word ‘Surrender’ means; ‘giving-up,’ ‘giving-in,’ ‘quitting,’ or something close to that. Fortunately or unfortunately, to find a sobriety we can live with day to day one needs to ‘Surrender,’ and this is where many become tangled. They don’t want to ‘give up’ anything, or even have something ‘taken-away’ from them.
But how does one become victorious over addiction by surrendering? Each of us has our own journey, and many addicts have died in the hands of their own addiction. Whether and overdose, suicide, or some physical accident, death will occur. Sadly some addicts suffer until this day happens. Even sadder, though is that people don’t have to suffer in such a way. Many of us work a great program of recovery.
So how is it done? Mainly, One-day-at-a-time.
Many addicts have had life experiences that have closed them off to allowing trust to flourish, therefore keeping surrender and help at bay. To become open to this process the addict must have a willingness to move forward always. One of the many disturbing facets of addiction is that the disease of addiction wants to isolate the addict; make him or her silent instead of asking for help. The first thing an addict needs to do after admission of being an addict is to ask for help to conquer the disease. By doing this the addict moves from being closed off to being open.
So, how does spirituality fit in here?
Well, believing in a “God of your understanding” allows the addict to maintain humility. Often times recovery addicts or others forget to whom to thank. They put themselves or others higher up and then they come crashing down because they lost their sense of humility. However or whatever you have faith in, even as an agnostic, and addict can find that mediation works just as well as praying. In my own early recovery, A great way to find spirituality if you are struggling is through the 12 Steps of Recovery.
Working the 12-Steps reflects upon our everyday values. The recovering addict can use the 12-Step process for more than just their addiction; they can use it every day and in other real areas of their lives. If an addict is unwavering during the process, it can create deep connections the fellowship of sobriety around them.
Recovery Rob BIO
Recovery Rob is a 48-year-old man who has more than twenty years of sobriety, whose drugs of choice at one time were alcohol and drugs, and he has worked in and around the field of addiction for more than 20 years. Having just recently launched his own website, www.askrecoveryrob.com, he hopes to reach out and continue to help others who work through their process of addiction and recovery. Recovery Rob is a professional writer who has published two novels and is currently working on his third. He has been writing and working as Pat Moore Foundation’s premiere blogger and content writer, which helps keeps Pat Moore Foundation’s addiction and recovery blog top-rated.