Addiction is a complex problem, and for that reason, addiction recovery must address several aspects of the addict’s life that have suffered.
As an addict, you’ve likely damaged your relationships, you might struggle with homelessness, you’ve probably lost a job or two, and you likely feel like you don’t really have a sense of purpose in your life.
You feel utterly lost, and what’s more, you feel like no one can understand because you don’t understand it yourself.
That’s why experts in addiction have determined that addiction recovery works best if it addresses the 4 dimensions of recovery that encompass these areas of life: Health, Home, Purpose, and Community. Let’s look at each dimension.
1. Health of Addicts Usually Suffers
As the saying goes, if you have your health, you have everything. For addicts, however, their health is one of the first things that suffers when they start using.
There are numerous health consequences of addiction. These range from something as simple as skin problems to more complex conditions like organ failure. Not only that, but mental health problems are often what are ultimately behind addictive behaviors.
Re-establishing an addict’s physical and mental health is a key part of the recovery process. Without your health, it will be difficult to get and stay sober.
2. Home is Where You Feel Stable and Safe
The next dimension of recovery is home. Because addictive behavior is so destabilizing, many addicts end up homeless. It’s very difficult to overcome addiction when you’re living on the street.
Additionally, some addicts live in an abusive home environment, and to conquer their addiction, they need to get into a safe place to live, a place where they can thrive.
That’s why helping addicts find a stable, safe home environment where they can heal is a vital dimension of addiction recovery.
3. Purpose Gives You a Reason to Stop Using
The next dimension of recovery is finding a purpose for your life. Many addicts have lost their job and family, and now they don’t feel like they have a purpose to go on.
Lack of purpose only encourages self-destructive behaviors. Finding or recovering your purpose in life is not only a critical foundational element for a successful recovery, but it’s also a motivating factor to stay sober.
Even if you feel like you’ve lost your purpose, there’s a reason you’re still here. Part of that reason may be to show others the road to addiction recovery.
4. Community is What It’s All About!
Ultimately, your community – your social network of family and friends – is what gives you the reasons to care about your life. They give you support, love, and, most importantly of all, hope.
To quote a line from the movie, The Shawshank Redemption, “Hope is a good thing, perhaps the best of things.” Hope gives you a reason to believe in your people, your purpose, and yourself.
No matter what rock bottom is for you, hope can pull you from the depths of despair and raise you up to the heights of success. Hope can get help you get back into your community, and that’s where you’ll find the other four dimensions of recovery.
Sober Sidekick Can Be Your Community
Sober Sidekick is a community of people who know what you’re going through as you work to regain your life and rebuild these 4 dimensions of recovery. We are a community of people who will never judge you because we’ve been where you are.
When you’re trying to rebuild these 4 dimensions of recovery so you can live your best life, you’ll find support, love, and hope in the Sober Sidekick community to help you through the recovery process. Give it a try today!
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