The best way out of sadness is joy, the best way out of anger is love, the best way out of fear is faith, and the best way out of addiction is balance. I found all the above in my recovery and I hope many, many will follow my path. Sobriety does not mean to lose anything in life, it means to gain freedom, happiness and all the wonderful things mentioned above, if done right.

So many people resist a life in sobriety, a stay at a treatment facility, or any kind of change toward recovery out of fear of losing important parts of their life. The drinking and drugging is not good for anyone, but it is a comfort zone and often has the status of a best friend. All social contacts revolve around the use and abuse, all what we know and who we know is involved in this destructive behavior. It is scary to let go of all of it and change the life as we know it completely around in a matter of weeks or months.

Just know, the gains you face will outnumber the losses. The positive quality of any experience is exponentially multiplied in sobriety regardless of its nature. Emotions, feelings, friends, memories, and any event can be a real fun-packed experience, if underwent clean and sober.

Drugs and alcohol are numbing. They numb the pain, bad experiences, grief, and suffering. But they also numb any positive happenings in life. Life becomes an emotionless, gray, and slow moving jelly ball without corners, wrapped in blurry bubble wrap. Recovery gives life edges again– and also colors and transparency.

Today, I love to be in nature and take pictures with my camera. During my addiction times, I had no eye for beauty, was not interested in observing, was busy consuming instead of exploring. Today, I love to walk mindfully through my life and notice beauty around me. I laugh like a child when my legs hit waves at the beach. I clap my hands in joy when I see the snow falling. I laugh tears in a towable behind my boat racing over the water. I’m not ashamed of showing my feelings today, I missed them way to long. The world can see what makes me happy. I can let my inner child out, being over forty, and I don’t have to be ashamed of showing my joy in life. No more need for any fake smiles or face masks, recovery gave me genuine fun and conjured up the real smile to my face. This gain was the jackpot of my life.

We do recover. Be happy.

Thanks to: Susanne Johnson