I am committed to the belief that every individual trapped in the degenerative cycle of a compulsive disorder can achieve total recovery if they are willing to follow this advice: “build their life around their recovery instead of attempting to build their recovery around their life”. ®   To illustrate the addictive process and the road to recovery, I ask each reader to recall their summer days of playing in the swimming pool.  Do you remember making a whirlpool in the water?  I remember that the longer I would circle in one direction, the stronger the current would become.  Eventually, the current became so strong that it would effortlessly carry me or even knock me off my feet.  I can further remember that trying to escape or reverse the whirlpool was extremely difficult

      Addiction (compulsive disorders) and the process of recovery is a lot like that whirlpool.  The longer we engage in dysfunctional behaviors the stronger the pull to continue those behaviors becomes.  Eventually, with continued reinforcement, escape “appears” impossible.  There are six stages to developing a dependence upon compulsive behaviors and/or illicit substances (abstinence; experimentation; social use; habitual use; abuse; and dependence).  To summarize the effects of these stages, continual ingestion of psychoactive substances or the continuation of certain mood-altering behaviors alters brain chemistry to the point that cognitive-physiological-spiritual disequilibrium occurs when the individual is not engaging in that behavior.  This disequilibrium is so powerful and it creates such psychological turmoil that, paradoxically, the person continues to engage in the illogical, self-destructive behaviors even though they know that the behavior is causing them severe harm.  If someone sincerely desires to recover “from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and soul”, recovery is possible with a diligent awareness of how life can interfere with recovery—if the recovering person allows it to.  The road to recovery must be paved with diligence.  When people enter into recovery, they are often faced with the legal, financial, emotional, occupational, physiological, relational, biomedical, and spiritual consequences of their addiction.  For many, the realization of their present circumstance appears overwhelming.

     Recovering individuals must remain diligent in building a life that centers around their recovery process instead of trying to build a recovery process that centers around their life.  In the swimming pool metaphor, diligence created the whirlpool.  The continuation of motion in one direction creates a flow of water in the direction of that motion.  The more diligent the action that created the motion, the stronger the current became (stages of dependence).  Resistance was experienced when we would reverse the direction of motion.  The strong current of water pushed us back until finally, through our diligence, the current weakened, then stagnated, and reversed direction.  Unfortunately, in early recovery, some people don’t exercise enough diligence and succumb to cravings and/or triggers before the “motion of recovery” occurs.   I am steadfast in my belief that everyone can achieve homeostasis or psychological balance by diligently practicing the spiritual principles of the twelve steps.  These spiritual principles are, in order; honesty, hope, faith, courage, integrity, willingness, humility, brotherly love, discipline, perseverance awareness of God, and service to others.  Diligence will reverse the dysfunctional current that compulsive behaviors create.  Then, when the recovery whirlpool is flowing, if someone enters into a relapse mode of thinking, they can do what our parents always told us to do before crossing a street:  stop, look, and listen.  Stop! Look, take an inventory of your current life situation.  Are you working too much?  Are you taking time to pray to your God?  Are you aligning your will with God’s will each and every day?  Are you in a relationship?  What expectation are you placing on yourself and others?  Are you becoming complacent; envious; slothful; egotistical; dishonest; overconfident; lustful; narcissistic; materialistic; arrogant; self-centered; cocky; or bored? Have you remained cognizant of H.A.L.T. (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired)?  And, listen to the voice inside of us all, the God-voice, that provides direction—if we choose to follow that direction.  People in recovery must not let pride and ego keep them from sharing thoughts of using.  If someone has using thoughts, they need to share them with others.  Sharing diminishes the power of negative thinking.  Unshared thoughts become secrets, secrets become fantasies, fantasies become obsessions, obsessions become compulsions, and compulsions become actions.  Building a life that centers around recovery means calculating how every thought and behavior enhances recovery.  Recovery is about placing needs before wants and not rationalizing, justifying, or minimizing behaviors that jeopardize a morally sound way of life.  Life is about choices.  Positive choices bring about positive results.  Negative choices bring negative results.  So, what’ll it be …misery or recovery?  

   Jeff Gilbert

Founder & Executive Director