Last week I had the privilege of interviewing several members of our staff and patients at Willow Grove Recovery in Tennessee. As someone who does not have firsthand experience with recovery I was excited to hear some valuable insights about some of the major challenges in addiction and how a good facility can help.
1. Addiction is a disease and it can be treated
The United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimates that over fifteen percent of Americans over the age of 12 suffer from substance abuse. Approximately seventy-five percent of these individuals spend time in a recovery facility where they detox and learn how to manage the disease and stay in recovery. An individual who feels shame for being an addict can be assured, for better or worse, that their condition is unfortunately not uncommon, but that hope and recovery are more than possible.
2. Community and location are crucial for sustainable growth
When a person enters recovery they are not just attempting to let go of a harmful substance, they are looking to overhaul their life. Countless studies demonstrate that lasting change is often better achieved in a designated location such as a recovery facility and with other individuals pursuing the same goal.
3. Recovery requires honesty
As an individual begins to break the cycle of addiction they begin to realize how much of recovery depends on honesty. Not just with therapists or staff, but with oneself.
Addiction often involves a lot of hiding, minimizing, or convincing yourself that things aren’t as bad as they really are. Recovery seems to require the opposite. People have to admit where they are, what they’re struggling with, and what they actually need help with.
That kind of honesty isn’t easy. But again and again I heard that real progress tends to start when someone stops pretending they have everything under control and starts being truthful about what’s going on.
As someone new to this space, I came away with a deep respect for the work that recovery requires. May anyone who is struggling find the help, honesty, and community that make recovery possible.