It is easy to feel discouraged about addiction and recovery when you are constantly being bombarded with bleak stories of the rising rates of addiction, record numbers of overdose deaths, and more. The word “addiction” itself means “bound to” or “enslaved by” in Latin. It can be exhausting to constantly be looking for relief, but only finding articles reporting upsetting statistics. This prompts the question: is there any good news about addiction and recovery?
Good News about Addiction Recovery
Do not let the bad news bog you down, there is a bright side! We are constantly reading articles highlighting people’s failures in recovery and celebrity overdoses. Lost from the headlines are the success stories.
Not everyone who seeks out treatment ends up failing to stay in recovery. Approximately 75 percent of people who seek addiction treatment achieve their goal. The average number of attempts before achieving long-term sobriety is five, the median being just two. This means only a small number of outliers require five or more attempts to stay sober. Moreover, a recent study was done that comprehensively surveyed Americans who said they had resolved their addiction problems. The study found that 22.3 million Americans have overcome their alcohol or drug problem. This study also saw significant improvements in quality of life and a decrease in psychological distress over their time in recovery. This study emphasizes that recovery is possible and life does improve when you’re sober. Along with this good news, it has been reported that 80 percent of people who have overcome addiction accomplished at least one major achievement associated with self-improvement and relationship improvement since addressing their drugs and alcohol abuse.
About 40 to 60 percent of drug addicts relapse after treatment. This fact may be discouraging, but it also means that 40 to 60 percent of people are not relapsing after treatment. More encouragingly, drug relapse rates are about the same as chronic illnesses like asthma. This means that although relapse may be fairly common, death by relapse is not nearly as common.
Although the narrative associated with addiction portrays it as a hopeless disease, this is not true. Yes, addiction can be deadly, but that doesn’t mean recovery isn’t possible. There is good news if you look a little harder. Do not let the pervasive bad news discourage you from having faith in the recovery process.
Staying on Track with Your Recovery at Design for Recovery
Staying positive and on track in recovery can be hard when all you ever see is bad news. Design for Recovery offers you a safe, structured environment that focuses on the positive aspects and outcomes of sobriety. Design for Recovery helps their residents stay sober through one-on-one mentoring, weekly house gatherings, employment support, money management, family outreach, and a foundation based on the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. Design For Recovery can help you develop a base of skills and tools to thrive in society while also providing you with opportunities for leisure activities, community support, and employment. Support and celebrate your recovery at Design for Recovery.
