You’ve been away from home for quite some time. With great difficulty, you made the decision to leave your hometown, perhaps your home state, to attend a treatment program for drug and alcohol addiction. Boldly and bravely, you set forth on a journey of recovery, healing your mind, your body, and your spirit along the way. Many months have grown between where you are today and where you were the moment you took your last drink or drug. You’ve transformed into a man of quality and character. Feeling stable and secure in your recovery, you start to plan making the transition from treatment life back to home life. When you ask yourself “Am I ready to move back to my old life?” you have to ask yourself what you mean when you say that. You may be moving back to your “old life” but you are a new man and that has to be taken into consideration.
Many men completely recreate their lives in recovery. Going out of state for treatment quickly turns into moving out of state for recovery. Their old lives no longer have anything to offer them and their new lives of recovery are full of possibilities. Returning to your “old life” can be full of stimulating triggers, memories, associations, and challenges which can pose a threat to your recovery. Under any circumstance and life condition, a man who is stable and secure in his recovery can stay sober. Recovery teaches men that they no longer have to suffer in their life. Freedom from addiction is possible by creating sustainable change.
Suffering is subjective. Returning to responsibilities, like a home, a career, and a family, can be stressful and cause feelings of suffering. Returning to friends, family members, and social circles can be stressful and cause feelings of suffering. Recovery empowers a man to make changes in his life and overcome adversity. If you are returning to a life full of adversity, from abusive relationships to a difficulty in finding support for your recovery, the stress might cause suffering. Suffering can lead to cravings. Cravings can lead to relapse. Though recovery prepares a man to overcome any challenge, he still has to realize the limitations of his strength. Keep the importance of your recovery your primary concern when asking yourself if you’re ready to move back to your old life. You may never be fully “ready” but you can be confident in your ability to sustain your sobriety once you get there.
Your old life may be nothing more than a reminder of where you came from, what you have been through, and how much you truly have transformed your life. Working together with your therapist and your treatment team you will create a detailed plan for maintaining your recovery at home.
At Tree House Recovery, we’re helping men find freedom from addiction. Our treatment programs create sustainable change for sustainable recovery by helping men find their strength in body, mind, and spirit. For information on our Orange County programs, call us today: (855) 202-2138
