The past can sometimes be a house of horrors if you’ve been through a particularly traumatic battle with addiction, abuse, or poor health.  While the past can often provide us with some necessary perspective and learning opportunities, it isn’t something we want to dwell on if our hope is to move forward into a better life. Yet that’s exactly what many of us do when faced with addiction recovery.

The first thing many alcoholics and drug addicts face when they make it into treatment is the realization that they have caused a great deal of harm to themselves and to others. It can be something of a shock to come back down to reality and find that you have a great deal to be embarrassed about and humiliated by. No one relishes this aspect of recovery, however we can learn a lot of lessons about ourselves from examining these mistakes and behavioral patterns.  More importantly, these mistakes can motivate us to make it through the gauntlet of recovery with a firm and fiery conviction to never experience those setbacks again.

However, these past mistakes can haunt us and keep us up at night too.  Some recovering addicts just can’t come to terms with the pains of the past and dwell on this misery to no end. This is not the way to a better, healthier life.

Look to a Brighter Future

The real secret of addiction therapy and successful recovery is in finding a place for those past experiences in the context of your life’s journey and allowing them to be what they are. Once you come to understand the nature of your past transgressions, you can leave them where they belong; in the past. The only thing that you should carry with you into a brighter future of clean blood, clear mind, and honest actions is the knowledge that you’ve been to the bottom and have no interest in visiting that place again.

Head held high, you make your way along an uncertain path that leads into a future that, for all its mystery and unpredictable curves, can’t be any worse than the path that lies behind you.  A driving instructor would advise that you not focus a great deal of your attention in the rear view mirror when navigating the roadways. You want to watch the road in front of you, because that’s where you’re going and that’s where the new hazards will require your  attention and decision-making ability.  Sure, you can occasionally glance in the rear view mirror to make sure nothing is sneaking up on you from behind, but it’s not meant for you to stare into the past and dwell on that missed turn.

Recovery is a lifelong journey and a lifestyle. Hired Power encourages you to make the best of your opportunity for healing and a fresh start. If we can help you along your journey in any way, contact us at xxx.xxx.xxxx and we’ll be glad to be your partner.

Onward!