Recovery always has moments of difficulty. We go through so much to achieve sobriety and begin engaging in an entirely new way of life, exercising our newfound spirituality and coping skills. However, there may be moments when we feel overwhelmed or depressed and wonder, “What’s the point?” We fall into a cycle of apathy and lose our sense of gratitude for all that sobriety has given us. In these moments, we need to take a step back and examine why it is that we have lost our motivation to continue. In a state of active addiction or alcoholism, our sole motivation was the next drink or drug. In sobriety, we have recognized that the “quick fix” of intoxication does not actually fix anything, and we found a new solution for our problems in the design for living offered through recovery. However, we have lost what was our main source of motivation, and need to find our sense of purpose and meaning elsewhere. Without a suitable substitution, we will be overtaken by apathy and ultimately give into our disease of addiction. Viktor Frankl, psychologist and Holocaust survivor, explains in his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, “Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for us as individuals. These tasks, and therefore the meaning of life, differ from man to man, and from moment to moment.” Our sense of apathy, or questioning whether we should just give up on recovery, often stems from looking at permanent sobriety as one giant, daunting task rather than a series of achievable steps. When we bring ourselves back to the present and address each task as it comes to us, moment by moment, we are in much less danger of losing our motivation and falling into a cycle of apathetic thought. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous warns, “It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe.” When we feel like we are letting up on our recovery program or no longer feel the sense of motivation that was such a strong driving force in the beginning stages of our recovery, we search within ourselves to find our sense of meaning and purpose, making an effort to recognize and appreciate all that we have been given in our sobriety.
Your story can be one of meaning and purpose. A better life is waiting for you in sobriety, all you have to do is make the decision to seek help now. Oceanfront Recovery, a treatment facility in beautiful Laguna Beach, is staffed with caring and compassionate professionals dedicated to providing you all the tools needed to recover from the disease of addiction and alcoholism. For more information about treatment options, please call today: (877) 279-1777
