5 Things I Wish Every Newcomer Knew About Recovery

When I was a newcomer and early in my recovery, there are a lot of things I wish I had known and been given advice on. I’ve thought of 5 things I wish every newcomer knew about recovery.

5 Things I Wish Every Newcomer Knew About Recovery:

1. It’s a simple program, but it does require work.

Yes, working a program of recovery is actually simple – we are just really complicated people. Even though it is simple, it does require some work on your part. You have to put in the footwork and action and do your part to stay sober and remain in recovery. For me, I couldn’t just be around recovery and not put in action myself; I would stay sober if I didn’t take part in my recovery process. You can’t sit around and expect to just stay sober, take action!

2. One of the most important parts of early recovery is to be willing and honest.

In early recovery, this is definitely vital to staying sober. Being willing to change and honest about how you are feeling and what’s going on with you. If you aren’t willing and honest, chances are you aren’t going to stay sober. It is said frequently in the program of recovery that we need to be willing and honest or it will not work. You should really want to change your life and be willing to do anything it takes – even if that means being honest about things you don’t want to share. Be willing and honest and it will make things easier on you in the long-run.

3. Listen and take suggestions from those who came before you.

This is something that I highly recommend. Believe it or not, they know what they’re talking about! Some of us are better at taking suggestions than others, but it is a good idea to try to take as many suggestions as possible. The people who have time are just trying to help save you from making the same mistakes they made, so try to listen and be open to their advice!

4. Not everyone is looking out for your best interest.

There are people in the rooms and in the recovery community who are not looking out for your best interest. There are a lot of 13^th steppers that are just trying to hook up with you and have no interest in anything else and there are also people who are still very sick and going to relapse – and possibly take you down with them. Beware of people who aren’t on the same page as you and people who aren’t doing the right thing in the program. Stick with the winners!

5. It gets better.

It is extremely difficult being in early recovery. Surrendering to being an addict or alcoholic can make you feel defeated, unhappy, emotional, and angry and so on and so forth. The good news is – it gets better! Did you ever hear that old expression “it works if you work it”? Well that couldn’t be truer. If you continue to work on your recovery and put in an effort to be sober then you will see that life gets much better. Life will never be perfect, but over time and the longer you are sober – the more things start to change for the better! If you or a loved one are struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll free 1-800-951-6135.