There are a few areas of health where you’ll find the word recovery. It can refer to physical injury, the period after surgery, and the aftermath of a mental health episode. It’s also a common word when it comes to the treatment of addiction.
When it comes to addiction, recovery doesn’t mean a cure. It means management. It means that drugs or alcohol or gambling, to name just a few common addictions, are no longer in control. You regain power over your own life, which means the negative things associated with addiction (the physical toll it takes on the body, the damage to relationships, the economic costs) can also be reduced if not outright stopped.
It’s a lot easier to fall into an addiction than it is to climb out of one. Recovery is a long and complicated process, often with stumbles and relapses on the way. It’s not surprising. Addictions can develop because of a variety of genetic, psychological, social and environmental factors, and they all need to be accounted for in the recovery process.
Every person is going to look different when it comes to recovery. What works for one person won’t work for another. Luckily, as our understanding of addiction grows, so do the kinds of treatment available.
For some people, the first step is going to be medication. That might mean methadone or buprenorphine for an opioid addition involving heroin or painkillers, or a nicotine patch for a smoker. These types of treatments work to reduce the symptoms of withdrawal and make you less likely to crave your usual drug.
Programs like Alcoholics Anonymous are known as 12-step programs. They are designed to help you acknowledge your addiction, admit your weaknesses and actively work toward recovery. As a group therapy, you work with other people who have had similar experiences to you.
Therapy delivered by a psychologist or psychiatrist in a more medical setting may also be used to teach you new coping strategies and adjust your behavior. If you learn how to recognize triggers, manage stress, approach relationships in a healthier way and generally improve your approach to life, it reduces the risk that you will become susceptible to addiction again.
Addiction isn’t something that comes with easy answers, but recovery isn’t an impossible goal. It will take hard work and a good support network, but it can be done.
