“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose,” Janis Joplin famously sings in one of her classic songs, “Bobby McGee”. At its worst, addiction takes everything from a man. Addiction takes money, time, energy, friends, family, jobs, belongings, dignity, and self-respect. For many men, their story of hitting “bottom” shares the sentiment of Joplin’s lyrics. There is simply no further that addiction can drag them down. Freedom is found at the very moment men realize they have absolutely nothing left to lose; that is, of course, except their lives- which many men may have technically lost once or twice.
July is a month of celebrating Freedom in America as we celebrate the official independence of our founding fathers from their persecutors in England. We take time to appreciate the many freedoms we have in our lives, some outlined by the Constitution, some inexplicable through words. Recovery is one of those inexplicable liberations men get to experience on their pursuit to happiness. Through the hard work of recovery, men find freedom in nearly every area of their lives. Breaking the barricades of addiction’s imprisonment, men realize a happiness, joyousness, and freedom they’ve never known before. Sometimes it takes being freed to realize how long it has been since you have truly felt free, if ever at all.
In recovery, men find freedom in the smallest, seemingly insignificant parts of their day. There is a freedom only men recovering addiction can know in waking up in the morning sans symptoms of withdrawal. Not having to wake up and immediately introduce toxic, damaging, life-threatening chemicals into the body is an absolute freedom. Men no longer face the chronic obsession of substance use, or the unstoppable train of self-sabotage which executes obsessive thinking’s demands. Freedom is found in the moments when a temptation comes and goes, as well as the moments when temptation lingers but is overcome. As men learn to be emotionally vulnerable and trust others, they find freedom in building intimate, reliable relationships. Men also build their bodies in recovery, adventuring into the wilderness and embracing the freedom of nature. Without an unrelenting game of Russian roulette of their lives, men find freedom in living fully, without limitations, unafraid of being held captive by addiction ever again.
The man who creates change creates himself. With our innovative treatment programs and adventure based recovery, we’re transforming men’s lives inside and out. Call Tree House Recovery today for information on our men’s addiction treatment programs in Orange County, California: (855) 202-2138
