Benefits of addiction recovery may seem obvious at first to some. Others not quite so apparent. Why give up alcohol or drugs some often say? What’s the point? Well, that is answered pretty much here, as we look at the benefits of addiction recovery through what AA calls the promises of recovery. They go as far as to say, if you painstakingly commit to the process of a sober life in recovery, that you will gain certain things. They then go further and write them down. Millions of people have been through recovery and thus have physically experienced these benefits of addiction recovery. So the evidence is there. Quite remarkable in its scientific format, where A gets traded for B. A is the addiction and B is the recovery from that addiction. Let’s take a look at what they mean by their ‘promises’.
A promise is a commitment by someone to do or not do something. As a noun a promise means a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something. As a verb it means to commit oneself by a promise to do or give.
A promise is defined as a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified. It is a legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act. We can also define a promise as the reason to expect something. It is especially grounds for expectation of success, improvement, or excellence
In drug and alcohol rehabilitation and recovery people have certain promises, that are revealed to them in the book. These are essentially benefits of addiction recovery. These promises, they say, will come to those who work through the 12 step programme. A promise of hope for example replaces the dire despair that any kind of addiction brings with it. So in many ways it is a trade off. Essentially a promise in recovery is a new behaviour and set of circumstances that replaces an old set of behaviours and circumstances.
Big Book benefits of addiction recovery
The big book says the following about the benefits of addiction recovery. If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. “Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them. (BB, pg 83)”.
The Benefits of addiction recovery and the 12 promises.
Promise 1
We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.
Promise 2
We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.
Promise 3
We will comprehend the word serenity.
Promise 4
We will know peace.
Promise 5
No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.
Promise 6
That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.
Promise 7
We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.
Promise 8
Self-seeking will slip away.
Promise 9
Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
Promise 10
Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.
Promise 11
We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
Promise 12
We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.
12 Attributes to recovery
To add to these, there are twelve attributes of personal character that go along with benefits of addiction recovery, that continued practice of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and our continued Spiritual Fitness will bring to us, the “Recovered” Alcoholic or addict.
As in so many things, especially with we alcoholics, our History is our Greatest Asset! We each arrived at the doors of AA with an intensive and lengthy “History of Things That Do Not Work”. Today, In AA and In Recovery, Our History has added an intensive and lengthy “History of Things That DO Work!!” and we will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it!! In other words people who are unfolding the benefits of addiction recovery will see these attributes of character come to play in their lives. It can be quite remarkable to see these attributes come alive in people again and again, and have their families and loved ones palpably see these results manifest.
- Hope instead of desperation.
- Faith instead of despair.
- Courage instead of fear.
- Peace of mind instead of confusion.
- Self-confidence instead of helplessness.
- Self-respect instead of self-contempt.
- The respect of others instead of their pity or contempt.
- A clean conscience instead of a sense of guilt.
- Real friendships instead of loneliness.
- A clean pattern of life instead of a purposeless existence.
- The love and understanding of our families instead of their doubts and fears.
- The freedom of a happy life instead of the bondage of an alcoholic obsession.
For more help with understanding the benefits of addiction recovery, or for drug rehab centre information, contact Pathways Plett Rehab, 0445330330 or email info@pathwaysplettrehab.co.za