Recovery for many people struggling with drug and alcohol abuse or addiction begins with becoming clean and sober.  If people have been abusing drugs or alcohol for the majority of their life, then oftentimes this path of recovery starts with a stay in a residential drug and alcohol detox center followed by longer term addiction treatment either in an inpatient addiction treatment center or in an outpatient environment.  This is followed by additional work to grow in their recovery and build upon the life that they desire.

Recovery is a lifelong journey.  So the stay in an addiction treatment center is only the first chapter in the journey.  For almost everyone truly interested in living clean and sober, the journey of recovery is not seen as a burden but rather a chance for growth.  It's a chance to grow above and beyond their old lifestyle which was shackled by their substance abuse issues.

The emotional maturity enabled by recovery work lets recovering addicts to be honest with themselves and to set boundaries in relation to people and their surroundings.  While many may believe this to be a life less lived, those that have sunk far enough down in their addiction know that the serenity allowed by honesty and taking life one day at a time far exceeds anything that might have been lost in their old life.

The path of recovery is a long one, but one that is not to be viewed as burdensome.  When we move ahead taking care of today and being excited about the challenges of tomorrow, we will find that life can begin to have a meaning all its own-not one we force upon it by following what we think others want for us.

If you're struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, and therefore life, take the first step in your path of recovery by contacting an addiction treatment center.  It could be the call that opens up a whole new chapter in your life that brings you unexpected joy.