One of the cool things about recovering from drug and alcohol abuse is that we’re able to make choices again. One of the scary parts of recovery is that we’re able to make choices again.
Choice and addiction don’t normally seem to go together. If we’re abusing substances, alcoholic drinks or different drugs are the things making the choices, not us. Alcohol and drugs determine how we spend our time and money. Since they mess with our relationships, they can take us from friends and family members and can introduce us to new, possibly dangerous people. Drugs and alcohol also have an impact on whether we eat, sleep, exercise, take care of ourselves, work, or participate in hobbies. Drugs and alcohol can dominate so many aspects of an addicted person’s life.
Some people may use drugs and alcohol because of this power. They don’t want to make choices or are afraid of choice, so they disappear into drug or alcohol habits. They use alcohol and drugs as a way of avoiding decisions. Drug and alcohol abuse doesn’t eliminate all decisions, of course. It poses many important questions, such as “Should I continue to use such substances?”
If people decide that the answer to that question is no, they often seek treatment. This treatment can help them treat their abuse and find tactics to prevent it from occurring again.
Treatment can lead to choices. Recovering addicts have to choose new ways to spend their time that don’t involve using drugs and alcohol. Recovering addicts might have to choose new companions if they’re old ones still use drugs. They might have to choose new places to live if they live too close to drug-related people and places.
Making choices can be scary, but it’s healthier than abusing drugs and alcohol to avoid such choices. Treatment can help people confront and make such changes.
