Notes from Rehab: Developmental Model of Recovery

I am going to begin sharing some of my notes from my experience in rehab. I was lucky that I had enough sense to take notes, because I surely was not thinking straight when I decided I needed help and entered the program of recovery. These notes are not complete in any sense. They are things I wrote down and want to share. The first note is on the developmental model of recovery:

First your perception of yourself changes from that of a social drinker to one suffering from the disease of alcoholism [and/or]

Your perception of yourself changes from that of a casual drug user to one suffering from the disease of addiction.

Then you decide to seek help.

You withdraw from use with the help of others.

You realign your values to those consistent with sobriety and a program of recovery.

You learn and use new coping mechanisms, such as meditation and prayer, to deal with life’s stressors.

You avoid old people, places, things that may act as triggers to craving or use.

You re-balance and re-organize your life based on the principles of sobriety.

You attempt to resolve formerly unresolved issues.

You use the tools of recovery to maintain sobriety.

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