There is no money in recovery if the addict or alcoholic ful y recovers. I get sad when I think about this blog, but it’s the truth. We need to be aware of the demons in recovery. Us addicts and alcoholics are an easy target. We don’t feel worthy being in the presence of healthy human beings. We see the healthy,
“functioning” members of society, and we envy their relationship with themselves. They love themselves enough to not mask their pain with addiction.
Suicide is a daily thought. If we do see enough value in ourselves to get help, we never know where to turn. Cops just laugh at us. in my day emergency doctors got annoyed and turned you away immediately. We know we’re dying! We know an overdose or Suicide is not too far off. We become desperate.
When any human is in desperateneed of beingsaved he or she is very vulnerable. We want super man or mom to come save our lives. We want dad to fix everything. We ask God to perform a miracle and heal us. We get arrested on purpose. We put ourselves through detox programs that are more like homeless shelters. We begin to lose our minds begging for help. You see so many commercials and advertisements saying, “help is just around the corner for addiction!” When you call that number you just talk to people. They never have anywhere suitable to get help or there’s a waiting list.
Be careful when selecting a recovery program. Make sure their curriculum is going to fit your needs. If classes don’t work for you, then find a program that spends more time outside. Every program you contact will try to convince you they’re a great fit. Before you decide here’s some things to think about.

1. Location- Location is extremely important. You will be battling dark energy in a recovery program. That energy wants you back on its team. This energy will pull at you to leave or walk out. You need to choose a program in a location that you are very unfamiliar with. A place far from any substance or triggers. Anywhere that has no public transportation within a few miles is smart. Somewhere your family doesn’t reside so you have a place to escape to, welcome or not. Also be mindful of the weather and climate. Do you enjoy waking up to a cool crisp morning. Or maybe you prefer sunshine and water. There are incredible healing properties in cool air and sunshine. Remember that for your recovery. Give yourself the greatest opportunity to succeed by choosing a location that will help you heal. One that will touch your soul.

2. Protocol or Rules- each program will have a set of rules. Some will be gender specific. Some programs won’t allow tobacco which I recommend. Why not quit everything? Some will let you leave campus, others won’t. There are programs that don’t provide a gym or much physical activity. Stay away from those programs. Stay away from programs with strange teachings and recovery strategies. I’ve heard of a program that starts you off as a toddler and makes you wear diapers in the beginning. You’re essentially supposed to “grow” out of your addiction. Stay away from that. The twelve step programs that believes the big book is Gospel and the twelve steps are the only way to recovery. They do help thousands but they also have a way of keeping you in a style of recovery that may be unhealthy. How many classes do they require you to attend? Do you need a sponsor? How often do yeu meet with your counselor and therapist? All questions you need to ask.

3. Aftercare- most programs will do a good job keeping a motivated participant sober. Where the majority of programs fail is in the Aftercare. Post recovery program care (PRPC) | call it. After you are released many programs will tell you they provide an Aftercare. Most legitimately do, but addicts and alcoholics 1 month sober are not even close to fully healed. We have another eleven months to go until we can trust our own brains. When you graduate a program they will ask if you want PRPC or outpatient care? Addicts and alcoholic saren’t in control of our brain one month sober. Of course we deny outpatient care. Or we say yes then never participate. One month programs are a spin dry. Your chances of recovery are very slim. Three month programs are better, but that is still not enough time to fully recover. That’s a scientific fact. We need one year for our brains to fully recover. Most people don’t see enough value in themselves to fully recover. Let me tell you that every second you can spend inside a recovery program is worth it. I was in my program for 13 months and 2 weeks. Looking back, I wish I could have stayed longer. I wanted to do a one and done. I didn’t want to be in and out of one month programs. I hated constantly battling the physical and mental pain of early recovery. I wanted to exercise the demon that was possessing my mind, body and soul. Look for programs with a plan and longevity. If anything, it means that program really cares about you. Find a program that truly loves you and cares.

4. Chemicals- every program that offers detox will offer you prescription drugs to help come off your (DOC) drug of choice. Be careful with these drugs.
Some programs are fighting addiction with addiction. Methadone and Suboxon can be just as addictive as oxycontin and heroin. There’s no shame in using these chemicals for a month to get over the initial detox. Never leave a program with a prescription of Suboxon or Methadone. Some programs are getting alcoholics who claim they’re opiate addicts. So they start them on Methadone. Then they develop a dependency in the drug that is supposed to combat addiction. You can’t go to recovery with one addiction and leave with another. That program wouldn’t be doing you any favors. That’s actually criminal in my mind. Also be careful of anti depressants. Some of them contain benzos and can be hard to come off. You don’t want to leave any recovery program with a new prescription. We were born sober for a reason. It’s the greatest high in the world. There’s no substance besides love that we need to survive.

5. Faith- Some programs are religious, some have nothing to do with a higher power. If you want God or a higher power to be a big part of your recovery ! suggest a faith based program. Some programs lean more towards God and religious practices in recovery. Others let you find him on your own time.
Choose what best fits your faith.

In the end we will all find our own path to recovery. Just like God. Unless your atheist you will find your own path to our creator. Some use religion such as Christianity or Buddhism. Others use nature or retreats. There is no right or wrong way as long as you have the right goals in mind. Find “your” best path to God and recovery. If you don’t believe in God, just find what works best for you. You don’t have to believe in God to believe in recovery. God continues to reip me. He is a huge part of who I am today. But if he’s not for you, that’s OK, you have just as good of a chance to recover as everyone else. But what does it hurt to look up and ask something or someone for a little extra help. Recovery is a monster! We can’t do it alone.

Remember there’s people out there who don’t want us to recover. They want us stuck on the methadone, Suboxon and antidepressants. The more addicts hooked on those, the more money they make. They don’t want us to be free. They don’t want to see us healthy. They create medication that keeps us in this awful battle against addiction. We owe it to ourselves to fully recover. Become free of dependency. Live your life to reach your full potential. Medication for recovery still clouds the beautiful mind we were given at birth. Yes, it’s your birth right to be sober. Sober is a God given feeling and it’s the best feeling in the world. Sober is how we were born. Celebrities and people of power will spend hundreds of thousands just trying to get back to their birth status, sober and free. You’re worth it. I promise you.

Your pain is temporary. What’s causing it’s permanent residence is ourselves and the devil. Dark energy resides in addictive substance. When that substance or dark energy known as the Devil has control of our brain; he uses us like a puppet to commit his dirtiest crimes. He does not want you to seek spirituality.

He does not want you to see that God is in our hearts like a pilot light. The beginning of recovery is how you ignite that fkame and turn up the heat. Fight fire with fire because our creator invented fire. He created that dark energy. We need him as our Allie. To beat thy enemy is to know thy enemy. Well the Devil knows me and I know God. “As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil!” That is what recovery has done for me. That is what the Buddha, ancient Native American teachings and Christianity have done for me. Recovery is 100% possible for you. Please believe in you and have faith. Today,

choose life! I love you all.