The Opposite of Addiction is Connection

All across this nation there are hundreds, even thousands of individuals in treatment programs making a concerted effort to establish and maintain sobriety. The goal is to reclaim their lives after suffering from a substance use disorder, be it from alcoholism, methamphetamine, Heroin, Cocaine, Marijuana, or addiction to prescription medications. The task can be a daunting one, and one that requires a great deal of commitment, desire and effort.

There are countless more that are not enrolled in formal treatment programs, however they are trying the best they can to rid themselves of the ravages, the wreckage, carnage and misery that years of addiction brought into their lives, and the lives of their family, friends and loved ones.  While in many cases recovery from mind altering substances would appear to be an evident and worthwhile goal, there is another element that remains a well-kept secret.

That secret is that the opposite of addiction is not necessarily recovery, but the opposite of addiction is connection.  Connection to one’s own emotions that have been oppressed medicated and numbed for so many years while suffering from addiction.  It is also connection to family and friends that had severed ties with the addict in the midst of their addiction so that they could establish some semblance of normalcy in their lives.

It can also be connecting to community, groups, affiliations, organizations, clubs, or to AA or NA or the plethora of other self-help groups based on the twelve steps of AA.  Connection can also include re-connecting to hobbies or things the individual enjoyed doing when they were not living the life of addiction such as golfing, motorcycling, sailing, hiking, painting, reading, listening to music, exercising, cooking, and meditating.  Many addicts return to regular church attendance as a consequence of regaining their independence from mind altering substances.

The key is that the individual who once was disconnected,  isolating, aloof, and exhibited avoidance behavior, has now connected back to who and what they were before they became addicted.  In returning back to their former way of life they are fulfilling what the word rehabilitation really means.  By connecting back to who they authentically were before becoming an addict, people are living a lifestyle of recovery that appeared to be so elusive before.  So, the next time you think of recovery, also consider connection as a means to get there.