“Recovery is an empowering journey that moves people from the margins and back into life with renewed purpose and confidence.”
~ Tim Powers, Coulee Council on Addictions, Wisconsin, USA
September is National Recovery Month in the US. Here in Canada we can benefit from the spirit of that example. As the soothing and carefree balm of summer weekends and vacations – aka ‘sunshine therapy’ – slip away, and people step back into the faster pace of the ‘unofficial’ start of the new year, what can be carried forward from summer as touchstones for recovery? A mental note to remember the importance of balance? A reminder that healthy play is a reward for work well done? A note to self to not succumb to tunnel vision, to take off the blinders from time to time, look around, relax and – breathe? Yes, all that. But there’s more…
Like the changing of the seasons, recovery is a gradual but inevitable process – the process of becoming our true selves. Like summer sunshine, recovery energizes and restores what was lost or stolen by addiction. Recovery builds strength and offers the gift of confidence and pride that comes from meeting our legitimate human needs in legitimate ways.
So as you head into fall, ask yourself: What are the lessons of summer? What have I discovered that I want to carry forward? What will I do now to continue my journey of recovery?
For some of you this may be exactly the right moment to take the next step in moving your recovery forward by starting counseling or coaching.
Need help recovering from Addiction? Counseling is Available by Video Worldwide.
Click here to request a video counseling appointment
Glynis Sherwood – MEd, Canadian Certified Counselor, Registered Clinical Counselor (BC), specializes in recovery from Attachment Trauma, Family Scapegoating, Low Self Worth, Anxiety, Depression, Complicated Grief, Relationship Challenges and Addictive Behaviors.