Have you ever forget that you are responsible for your won recovery? Maybe not, but many recovering addicts do. This is one subject that often gets overlooked, but it is important to be able to realise and recognised that you are responsible for your recovery.
Others can help you, but most help is simply advice. In the end it is up to you to stay sober, you are responsible for maintaining your sobriety. The most important thing for you to remember is that you must embrace the idea that you are solely responsible for your recovery.
Your Responsibility
There is no such thing as being cursed with an addiction or “begin born that way”. When you think this way, it is similar to denial and is not accepting full personal responsibility. When you or any other recovering addict claims that the disease of addiction was out of their hands, you are actually in a way saying that recovery could be out of your hands. This is illogical and may even be a potential recipe for disaster. Recovery must maintain and remain your full responsibility.
How to Become Responsible for Your Recovery?
Eliminate the Word “But”
Many addicts in recovery may say “I will try living a drug or alcohol free life, BUT if it gets too difficult, I can always go back to using or drinking.” This is never a good statement to make as it embeds an idea in your mind that it is fine to return to using. But you and other addicts must remember, no matter what, you will experience difficult times using or drinking. If you can realise this, you can become aware of the responsibility that you have for your own recovery.
Detach Yourself from Bad Influences
You must realise who in your life threatens your recovery and then detach yourself from them, as these people will be a bad influence. When the person is using or drinking it might make you or any addict that goes around them to want to give up on their recovery and relapse. You simply cannot go around them because they promised they would not drink or use around you; eventually they will and when they do, you are putting yourself at risk for relapsing. This is not an easy decision, but it is a responsible one and you owe it to your recovery.
Find Your Own Path
You are responsible for finding your own path in recovery. Too often, addicts rely on to much help and direction from other people. While direction and help is good, there must be a fine line between receiving help and becoming irresponsible because there is always help. Counselors can make suggestions, a sponsor can tell you their experiences, but these people cannot tell you exactly what you need to do to stay sober, this is completely up to you.
Continue Learning
The road of recovery is yours to learn from and find out what works best for you, it is a continuing learning process. If you truly want to stay alcohol or drug free for the rest of your life, then you are responsible for making that happen. No one can force you to stay clean, and there is no magic formula to an instant successful recovery. Continue to take advice from the people that care about you, but you must decided what advice to apply in your own life.
Make Your Own Decisions
Each and every decision that you make needs to be yours, if you do not take full responsibility for these decisions during your recovery, take advice, but make your own decisions. Many addicts will blame others for why they relapsed, but it is mainly because they did not take on the responsibility of making their own decisions, and then used this as a reason for relapsing.
Being Responsible and Avoiding a Relapse
The road to recovery is long and you will run into difficult times, but the key thing to remember is that you will get past these difficult times. The longer you are in recovery, the easier it will become. If you can own up to the responsibility of your recovery, you will have an easier time getting through it. Being responsible for your own recovery may help you to avoid a relapse because you will know and understand that you cannot blame anyone for relapsing, but yourself.
