The Admirable Traits of Someone in Addiction Recovery

Overcoming addiction is no easy task. Facing life’s problems and figuring how to get through life after being addicted to a substance takes a lot of hard work. Fighting through the early days that are consumed with cravings takes a lot of willpower. Being an addict in recovery takes a lot of strength.

People who are in recovery often get a bad rap due to their past and the stigma that surrounds addiction. While addiction may cause a person to become someone they are not, that doesn’t mean that they cannot redeem themselves and improve their lives. If anything, having to rebuild a life that was nearly destroyed is what enables an extensive amount of character development. The process of living a life of addiction recovery often results in a list of rather admirable personality traits and characteristics.

Resourcefulness:

Believe it or not, it actually takes a lot of creativity and resourcefulness to maintain an addiction. Every day becomes a challenge of how to feed a habit, maintain appearances and just get by. Now if we are being completely honest, this is not the best way to use this particular talent. When a person begins to live a life of recovery there is no limit to the positive things they will be able to use this skill for.

Gratefulness:

If you want to learn how to be truly grateful for the little things in life, lose everything of value and work hard to get it all back. This is what someone in addiction recovery has to do once they begin to pick up the pieces of their life. While it is by no means an easy process, it provides a level of gratitude that would be difficult to achieve otherwise.

Self-Discipline:

Quitting something a person is addicted to requires an extreme level of self-discipline. Getting sober and giving up an addictive substance takes a lot of willpower. In the beginning, it is a constant decision-making process of not using. With time, this becomes easier but getting to that point takes perseverance.

Courage:

Getting sober and creating a new life can be scary. The thought of giving up drugs or alcohol is terrifying when you are addicted, which is why so many people end up putting it off. It takes a lot of courage to decide to get clean and create a better life for oneself. True addiction recovery requires a person to put in a lot of work that many people would be afraid to do and therefore creates a level of bravery in a person that probably was not there before.

Compassion:

Living a life of addiction and making it through to the other side gives a unique perspective on life. This viewpoint enables a person to have a deep level of compassion for other people who are struggling. No one can really understand what it is like to live a life consumed by addiction except for someone who has been there. This position provides an ex-addict the opportunity to help others break free from their addiction as well.

Inspirational:

People who overcome adversity, face their demons and fight for their future are an inspiration. There is no better inspiration for someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol than seeing another person who used to be addicted making it in recovery. In a world where people are dying from drug overdoses every day, the people who are flourishing in their recovery offer a beacon of light and hope.