Addicts in recovery will eventually feel the pain of loss. The drug of choice is no longer a healthy option for coping and a new one must emerge. In addition, all the time devoted to depending on the addiction(s) will create a void. How do you fill this void and with what?
Since no two people are the same, the answer lies within the individual. The individual must learn what passions, drives, and desires can be explored to help replace the years of dependency upon the addiction. Addicts must learn this is more than “stopping a behavior”; it is engaging in a new way of thinking and living.
Part and parcel of this is finding new opportunities to grow, stretch, and cultivate a life that may have seemed impossible at first. For many clients, the obvious ones include healthy exercise programs, eating more wholesome foods, and engaging in more vulnerable relationships with recovery peers and their partners.
Other options that seem more challenging may require more insight or risk. Some clients decide their past careers no longer suit their emotional or spiritual needs and either go back to school to study a new field or use their skills and redirect them to a new profession.
Some tap into their creative outlets: reading, writing, travel, photography, or journaling, to name a few. It doesn’t take much to find something creative, as the goal isn’t to become an artist or musician (although that can happen) but to transfer the energy devoted to an addiction to a healthier outlet.
This step in recovery might sound daunting but it need not be. I encourage clients to read books that center on themes related to “passion,” “core values,” and hobbies. Finding a means to serve others through volunteerism is another example that can give addicts a new reference point.
For myself, I’ve discovered and continue to find creative parts of myself I never knew existed in my journey of recovery. It started simply with reading books. I used to hate reading growing up, but since the books were about addiction, recovery, and men’s mental health, they provided insight into my life and my maladaptive ways. The reading expanded to writing, at first simply journaling my thoughts and feelings onto a page. It expanded to include writing blogs and books.
Source: Sam Louie
Poetry and photography soon followed as an extension of my need for creative self-expression.
Physically, I moved beyond the comforts of playing basketball (something I’ve done since childhood) and challenged myself mid-life by taking martial arts classes (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu). Learning to teach your body to move in a certain way via martial arts, yoga, dance, or any other somatic practice is an invaluable means of creativity as your brain is actively developing new pathways in skill-building.
Source: Sam Louie
I also took a motorcycle class, initially to ride a Vespa scooter, but later bought a motorcycle which allowed me to escape the city and soak in the beauty of the outdoors by riding and camping. While some outlets are more seasonal, the point of the matter is to find creative pursuits that keep your brain stimulated. Think about it this way: Spend as much time as you spent on your addiction on new creative efforts in order to balance the equation. My hope is you will find pursuits that lead you away from addiction and closer to your true self.
