CONNECTION

There are many remedies for addiction, ranging from sweat lodges to group talk therapy. There are supplements, medications, herbal remedies and much more. We have learned that it is not a “one size fits all” approach. What works for one person may not work for the next. Instead of finding the algorithm for success, we have discovered that it is a puzzle, involving many pieces, and a journey to find how they all fit. This process can be difficult and exhausting, but also inspiring and beautiful. A common denominator identified in these journeys is connection.

The disease of addiction, or the symptoms of this disease, often lead to criminal justice involvement, social services involvement, and other social issues. Addiction can often mean separation from those we love most. Also, separation from our authentic selves. We tend to be grouped, labeled, and eventually we become “others”. Addiction can be devastating, but recovery is powerful. Recovery will always involve connection, to our higher powers, to our loved ones, and to our communities. The symptoms of addiction disconnect us, sometimes imprisoning us in jail cells and other times imprisoning us in our own minds. 

Connection to ourselves, our authentic selves, involves fueling the self-forgiveness, courage, and determination necessary to give ourselves the grace and the space to heal and find recovery. Shame, guilt, fear, and anger attempt to trap us and limit our potential for growth. To reconnect with ourselves is to rediscover the beautiful aspects of our existence and in this we find our purpose and our place in this world. 

Connection to others fuels empathy and reminds us that struggle is a shared human experience. We share laughter and we share pain. We connect in therapy, in meetings, in grocery stores, and on sidewalks. We pay it forward and it finds our way back to us. We experience accountability, drive, and inspiration. I push myself harder in my yoga group of 10 than I do alone on my patio. I challenge my strength and I give myself more grace when I am surrounded by others that are trying, just like me. Same yoga mat, same yoga pants, different outcome.

Johann Hari said, “The opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety, it’s connection.”

We need each other and that is a beautiful thing.

Rachael Winkles LMSW