Recovery from drugs happens over time — it is not a single moment in time. Drug recovery is a constantly changing period that requires work to maintain. Recovery from drugs is a new beginning, and can be a time of great personal enjoyment and growth for addicts in recovery and their families.
Most addiction professionals use the term “recovering” rather than “recovered.” Although the addict has made a commitment to abstinence and is moving in that direction, he or she will always be an addict and continues to be vulnerable to relapse. Recovery requires constant effort — so most view it as if the work of recovery is never fully done, so they use the word “recovering.”
Recovery from drugs requires that the addict repair relationships damaged through years of taking drugs. There will be feelings of shame and self-hatred. The addict will have to give up the “addict mentality” that is suspicious, secretive, manipulative, and self-centered.
Addicts who are in recovery have overcome the problems associated with their drug use. Addicts do not have to be in the addiction stage of substance use to appreciate recovery, and they don’t have to enter a formal treatment program or attend a self-help group — they may have simply had a candid conversation with a family member or significant other and decided it was time to cut back on drinking or drug taking.
Sometimes relapse occurs when t...
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