Some of us can be really, really, really stuck in our ways. We all know those people that, no matter what the new innovation is or how much better another way is, will still opt for the classic methods they’ve always used, whether they work or not. Heck, some of us probably are those people!
While there’s nothing wrong with tried and true when it comes to things like fixing the car or preparing the family’s world famous sweet potato casserole, the addiction treatment facility is one place where we should strive to be as open-minded and willing to try new things, hear new advice, and practice new strategies as we can. The Big Book makes it very clear: “Willingness, honesty and open mindedness are the essentials of recovery.” This means that in order to recover effectively, we can’t close ourselves off to new ideas and new ways to solve our problems.
Treatment is where creativity and ingenuity is championed, because there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to our individual and often complex problems. Practically everything we do in treatment is based on teamwork, discussion, and input from our mentors and peers, and the environment fostered within the treatment community is nothing if it isn’t collaborative. Here at Thrive Treatment℠, for instance, every single outpatient treatment program we offer is accompanied by a generous helping of group activities, therapy sessions, and discussion-based assessments– all of which ask us to consider different approaches, try different strategies, and adopt different ways to deal with some of the same problems. It may be art therapy one day, yoga therapy the next, and cooking classes the next!
We need to be willing and ready to step outside of our comfort zones to make the changes we want to see in our lives, because many times outside of our comfort zones is where the best answers lie. It’s human nature to want to stick with what we know, but the safety, familiarity, and comfort of what we know doesn’t always allow us to develop as we should. As The Big Book says, given the choice between being comfortable and building character, we’re wired to always seek comfort. Knowing comfort doesn’t always breed solutions is half the battle. Now all we have to do is make the effort to step outside of our comfort zones!
Thrive Treatment℠ is a premier outpatient addiction treatment program in sunny Santa Monica, California. We help our clients conquer addiction by teaching them how to process and discard the self-defeating thoughts that can often keep them stuck. Call us right now at (888) 975-8474 to get started!
