One of the first things I learned as a young woman working in treatment centers was the role that willingness plays in recovery. I was working with alcoholics and addicts. So, I saw how denial and lack of willingness contributed to relapse. The people most unwilling would frequently leave treatment AMA (against medical advice). As far as I could see, leaving in that way was pretty much a guarantee of relapse. How did I come to think about this? I know a woman who works in the criminal justice system. She is in a position of authority. And in our brief conversations about mental illness and addiction, I can tell that she is a thoughtful and caring human being. We need human beings like her dealing with mentally ill and addicted individuals in our criminal justice system.
Today, we talked a bit about how you almost can't tell which came first...the mental illness or the addiction. We also briefly talked about how sometimes people would be given a chance at treatment and couldn't make it through the treatment as it was ordered. One would think that the opportunity to deal with potential legal consequences and the pain related to addiction/mental illness would be quite an incentive. But, unfortunately, the illness is too strong for some people. They can't move past denial into willingness.
As my friend said: "They really have to want it." And that is the case. I was stuck in Orlando dealing with serious depression and physical issues, so when I got the opportunity to get help, I dug in. I cooperated. I took advice. And the payoff was....I'm in Tennessee with my family. I'm working. And I have had a long sustained period that I would consider recovery. How did I get there? By being willing to do the work. By taking my opportunity for treatment seriously. By challenging my own dysfunctional thinking patterns. By being willing to sit in the pain for awhile. By following up. I could only do it because I was....willing.
Have you had times when you allowed denial and lack of willingness to influence your access to recovery? I think we all have. How did you move past that? Or are you still struggling with it? Let's talk! In honest sharing comes healing. Sending much love......
Today, we talked a bit about how you almost can't tell which came first...the mental illness or the addiction. We also briefly talked about how sometimes people would be given a chance at treatment and couldn't make it through the treatment as it was ordered. One would think that the opportunity to deal with potential legal consequences and the pain related to addiction/mental illness would be quite an incentive. But, unfortunately, the illness is too strong for some people. They can't move past denial into willingness.
As my friend said: "They really have to want it." And that is the case. I was stuck in Orlando dealing with serious depression and physical issues, so when I got the opportunity to get help, I dug in. I cooperated. I took advice. And the payoff was....I'm in Tennessee with my family. I'm working. And I have had a long sustained period that I would consider recovery. How did I get there? By being willing to do the work. By taking my opportunity for treatment seriously. By challenging my own dysfunctional thinking patterns. By being willing to sit in the pain for awhile. By following up. I could only do it because I was....willing.
Have you had times when you allowed denial and lack of willingness to influence your access to recovery? I think we all have. How did you move past that? Or are you still struggling with it? Let's talk! In honest sharing comes healing. Sending much love......
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