Early addiction recovery is a very marvelous time!
Yes! It is! Our thinking clears up, our emotions come alive, the sky is bluer, colors are brighter, food tastes better and life starts to get good! I mean really good!
That is all just marvelous. The danger I see in early addiction recovery becoming over-confident in our ability to deal effectively in the ‘real world’. We tend to move much too quickly toward ‘independence’, that is, we don’t need the steps, don’t need meetings, don’t need a sponsor! After all, we have are sober and in control!
While this attitude can be exciting, invigorating; not knowing one’s limitations in the early phase of recovery is all too often a setup for disaster. In the early recovery stage we tend to take on far more than we are capable of handling. Our addictive mindset is imposes unworkable time frame for getting things done, for changing circumstances, and especially for entering or repairing relationships. We want it done yesterday. Instead, we can avoid relapse by establishing stability by selecting and using the right tools from recovery toolkit.
Keep it fresh…take baby steps…walking and running will come in time!