In today’s episode, Benjamin and I are going to talk about the “why” behind being an addict. Drinking and doing drugs is a cover for an underlying emotional issue that must be addressed to fully recover successfully.

Our clients, because of the choices they have made in the past, do not have the best behavior or comments when they are moving through the process of recovery. In today’s episode, Ben and I will talk about questions and feedback we hear from clients most often, and how we respond to their concerns.

If you’re in a treatment program, make sure to really focus on treatment so you can get better and move on with your life. Realize the recovery process, to be successful, take time. You may have been an addict for over a decade - spending two weeks in recovery will not give you enough time to recognize what you need to change.

Also, realize that you will need to not only be aware of the emotional issues that ended you up in recovery, but you’ll also need to process these emotions and be mindful of triggers that can lead to continuing your addictive behavior. It’s also easy to be in a mindset of not wanting to drink or do drugs, but that alone will not lead to a successful recovery.

We talk about the six legs of alcoholism, including consequences, which, in and of themselves, are not enough to give you a clean and sober life. Some clients want to get back to their family and responsibilities. However, we see clients that leave early as they have self-evaluated they are OK, they go home and continue their addiction.

Many times, you weren’t helping before you came to rehab, as your addiction came first. You were most likely stealing and being an emotional and spiritual burden to your loved ones. When you’re not ready to leave, you aren’t prepared to take care of someone else, let alone take care of yourself.

At Rock Recovery Center, we take a humanistic approach to recovery, teaching our clients how to live independently in a sober world. We care about the success and safety of each and every one of our clients from the moment they step into our center to the future of their well-being.

Check out my new website where you can download any episode right from my site along with other useful information for those in recovery.

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Show Notes:

• [03:27] Why people come for treatment at Rock Recovery Center.
• [04:12] When our clients “don’t even feel like using anymore.”
• [08:19] Motivators and consequences for the addict.
• [11:17] Addicts saying they don’t want to drink or drug anymore is usually a precursor to a future negative event.
• [14:07] Unicorn addicts who can successfully complete the program in 30 days.
• [18:15] Treatment and sober living can take up to a year to recover.
• [19:49] “I just want to move on and put ‘this’ behind me.”
• [22:19] SMART goals and creating a new and healthy routine.
• [24:40] The difference between leaving and leaving when you are ready.

Episode Links and Resources

• Real Recovery Live Chat
• Real Recovery Talk on the Web
• Real Recovery Talk on YouTube
• Leave Real Recovery Talk a review on iTunes
• Rock Recovery Center
• Real Recovery Talk on Facebook
• Ideas for a show? Email us [email protected] and [email protected]