Taking ACTION On Our Behaviors
Iv’e written in the past extensively on Human Behavior, Mental Health, and a bit more specifically. The Stages Of Behavior. It’s pretty well known, and it comes in many forms, graphs, charts, etc etc. A majority of us humans will go through, some or all parts of this. We may follow the exact normal order of the chart, or we may go through it in mixed parts, backwards, forward,whatever.
In the past, In the past, & recent times I have, in cross over style with multiple Publications here on Medium, written and focused mostly on contemplation, contemplation, and preparation. Today I wanted to write about about one of the biggest, and most complex stages, and that is Action. The big step right in the middle.
SMART Recovery has a lot to say about Action. I always like to quote what they have to say and what their take is on it, and then go into my own opinions, and viewpoints. Being the Recovering Addict I am, I usually have plenty to say, and what is said, can be easily backed up. Here below is what SMART Recovery specifically says.
“Action can take many forms. From the controlled environment of inpatient treatment, to working with a professional Counselor. to attending mutual help groups, to working on their own, or any many combinations of these. Here’s where people try new ways to handle old situations, uncomfortable emotions, urges & other challenges.
This stage requires the greatest commitment of time and energy but also is where new changes start to be visible to others. People in this stage usually need supportive relationships. They start substituting some new healthier activities for old ones.
Some people experience anxiety at this stage, but learn to accept a certain amount of discomfort in return for achieving their long term goals.”
The obvious one for Action, as they seem to say is the change to a controlled environment like an inpatient rehabilitation facility. As much as NONE of us ever want to be in such places of despair, unfortunately, the vast majority of us have been in these places. Multiple times too. No matter what chaotic avenue our addiction takes us on, there is almost NO way, that we can even dream of getting clean, and sober without beginning the journey in some sort of inpatient. As shitty as that sounds, its just necessary to start Sobriety in that controlled environment, removed from the streets, and removed from the people, places and things that did nothing but accelerate our addiction.
It’s some blatant words, but the words are true. There is just no going this alone.
Cold Turkey, locked in your bedroom for 15, 20 days, physically, the healing may seem right on track, but with each day of physical improvement, is another day of untreated Mental Hell. Getting worse, and worse, and worse. It is a Hellish Nightmare of true unexplained proportions, when you are kicking Cold Turkey and you’re by yourself, except you’re still with yourself.
It’s a literal impossibility to get through to the other end, without some kind of new Mental Trauma hanging on. Created just by that short time of kicking…. and yet the experts say that withdrawing from Opiates in harmless. Yea, Bullshit.
If you haven’t lived IT, then don’t tell me how IT is.
Being removed from our Addiction elements, is also a good thing for the loved ones and victims. There is usually an infinite amount of healing that has to begin its long journey, and time away is absolutely needed to begin a road back to trust. Trust; easily lost, quickly thrown away. yet sometimes an impossibility to earn back.
Action is a stage that you most likely will be on, in some degree for the rest of your life. Even when serious relationships are mended, you will still see through the many lines in people’s eyes, and you will have to accept the fact that sometimes, even when you think you’re forgiven, you still have to “re earn” that trust back, every day, for the rest of your life.
By MICHAEL PATANELLA.
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