Abstinence vs. Recovery
Sometimes people look at abstinence from alcohol and drug use in the same way they look at alcoholism and addiction recovery. Some people feel there is a fine line between the two meanings and the definition of the two can tend to blend together. There really are definite differences though, see what you think…
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Some alcoholics and addicts choose to become abstinent from using but they never enter into a recovery program. Those who choose to abstain from the use of alcohol or drug show the following behaviors and attitudes:
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Choosing to abstain from the use of alcohol and drugs is because if they do drink or use again it would most likely cause more problems.
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Choosing to abstain from using alcohol or drugs makes the user feel angry or disappointed, they don't enjoy being sober and clean and they miss getting high.
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Choosing to maintain their abstinence through will-power, they believe will-power is all they will ever need to keep from abusing drugs or alcohol ever again.
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Choosing to drink or use drugs again would be an option if they were sure their prior problems associated with their use of alcohol or drugs wouldn't re-occur.
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Many alcoholics and addicts are not only choosing to abstain from using these substances but are also in recovery. Those who are recovering from alcohol or drug abuse show the following behaviors and attitudes:
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They not only maintain their abstinence from using alcohol and drugs but they choose this because they wouldn't want to compromise the quality of life they have now found in sobriety.
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They enjoy the feelings of being sober and clean, they also feel grateful for their sobriety.
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They not only use will-power but utilize and make use of the resources they have found while in recovery treatment to maintain their sobriety. They continue to learn healthy ways of thinking which makes a difference in their lives daily.
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They have no desire to drink or use drugs again and wouldn't choose to do so even if they were reasonably sure that problems from prior alcohol or drug use wouldn't re-occur.
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One thing is for sure, those who go into a recovery program for the treatment of drug or alcohol abuse stand a much better chance for a successful recovery. Abstaining from the use of alcohol or drugs is hard when doing it on will-power alone. There are people out there that have done it and they deserve credit for their accomplishments. Unfortunately, most people can't just do it on will-power and that's not a sign of weakness. Life is hard and struggling through life while dealing with addiction is almost impossible for most people.
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Recovery from alcohol and drug abuse is a wonderful feeling and takes hard work, patience, and a will to be free of the substance. Thousands have done it and you can too!
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