Resilience in Recovery is a topic I’m extremely passionate about because I live it every single day. When I was in the middle of my addiction and alcohol abuse I didn’t feel. It was my safe space and I used those substances to prevent me from feeling. The numbness was somehow comforting. I knew I was missing out on parts of life, joys and experiences that the substances numbed me from but the flatness of numbness was all I felt I could handle.

Resilience is the only way recovery is possible especially because of the feelings and experiences you are suddenly exposed to. It’s always been odd to me but in recovery (even six years clean and sober) I still struggle with joy, happiness, and other positive emotions. They overwhelmed me and it’s difficult to move through them, whereas sadness or hurt I can process smoothly and move forward. But herein lies the importance of resilience. Even in the highest of highs I sit in the overwhelming emotion, I feel it and breathe it and step forward through it. Negative emotions and experiences are the same. Resilience in Recovery is how we take the next breath. We keep going.

Take a moment to think about your own life as we journey forward this month and explore Resilience in Recovery. What challenges have you faced? What are you in Recovery from? It could be obvious such as drugs or alcohol but it could also be trauma, grief or just a rough workday. Maybe you recently moved and are recovering from the change involved. Find your recovery, seize the path you are on and start to note the resilience you live.

Here’s to us, recovery and celebrating resilience.

Sarah Deats

Sarah Deats is the Hope Inc. Stories Inspiration Engineer. Her goals are to make a connection with everyone that she can while building community, spreading hope, and sparking change. She believes that while life may not be easy, it is never lived alone.