Preparation⎼⎼Am I Ready for a Change?
Check out the personal reflection questions below and identify where you are in your recovery process.
- Why do I want to make a change?
- Whom have I hurt in the past because of my addictive activities?
- How have I hurt myself? What have I lost in people, opportunities, and possessions because of my addiction?
- What things do I believe in? What values do I believe in? Whom do I trust and love?
- How many close calls and brushes with death have I had because of my addictive activities?
- How do I visualize a future where I am no longer using my addictions? How will I feel? What will I be doing for work? Where will I live?
- What barriers separate me from where I want to go?
- What will happen to me if I do not stop my addictive activities in the next six months? In the next year? Five years from now (how old will I be then)?
- Who can I turn to for help? Why?
The preparation stage in your recovery is a time when you begin to “put the brakes on” to slow your addictive activity level down. A traditional approach, such as a twelve-step program, does not allow for this type of preparation.
However, as you will read, traditional support groups such as AA and NA can be helpful once you have entered the action stage of your recovery journey.
By the end of the preparation stage, you should be able to fully comprehend the following comments made by a recovered addict:
When it came to my crack addiction, I had to completely change the way I thought. That’s the biggest problem with addicts: their thought patterns. They think that getting high is okay, or that it’ll help them deal with their problems. I know I was a crackhead and I remember what it was like. Part of me wishes that I didn’t remember, but I know that it’s good that I do, so I can learn from it. You need to dredge up those bad and painful feelings from the past and get in touch. Feel them, understand them, and know that you can never go back. Brand this in your mind and never forget. This. This will be part of the solution needed to do this. The other part is to follow through with your decision. No matter what, stick to your guns.
If the above thought pattern does not yet resonate with you, that is okay. If you want to learn more about how you can accelerate your own recovery process speak with a BlueSky Behavioral Health professional today. You are the only one who has the ability to implement long-lasting change, and we have the tools to help you get there.
