emotional

Defining Success
By Molly Casteel, MS, Chestnut Health Systems

RECOVERY

eptember is National Recovery Month as declared by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This year SAMHSA is promoting the theme, Join the Voices for Recovery: Together on Pathways to Wellness. With millions of individuals in recovery from a substance use and/ or mental health disorder, Recovery Month reminds us each year that a strong support system is necessary for continued recovery. Family, friends, prevention specialists, treatment providers, behavioral health counselors, and medical professionals all play an important role on an individuals overall health and sustained recovery. Recovery Month provides a specific time for all of these communities to come together to celebrate many individuals successes in recovery. As a substance abuse treatment provider, the question what is your success rate is one that is asked on a daily basis. However, there is not a good answer as success in recovery from a substance use disorder is different for every individual. SAMHSA defines recovery as a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a selfdirected life, and strive to reach their full potential. Recovery is a daily process of making decisions that help an individual avoid substance use, as well as improve their physical, social, mental, and spiritual well-being. There is an estimated 25 million people in the United States in recovery from a substance use disorder. Each individual in recovery has measured his/her success in recovery by different standards. For some, acknowledging the problem or a decrease in use because of
Page 8 Healthy Cells Magazine Bloomington September 2013

"There is an estimated 25 million people in the United States in recovery from a substance use disorder."
treatment is considered a success. For others, complete and sustained recovery after treatment is success. Often, it takes multiple times in treatment and a significant amount of time for an individual to remain in recovery. William L. White, Emeritus Senior Research Consultant at Chestnut Health Systems says that, Successful recovery from these problems [severe alcohol and other drug problems and mental health illnesses] involves significant changes over time in personal identity and beliefs, family and social relationships, and daily lifestyle. Managing recovery is much like managing a chronic medical condition like heart disease; healthy decisions and actions are required throughout ones life. For John, a former client and employee of Chestnut, success in recovery changed throughout his 14 years of sobriety. After complet-

ing inpatient treatment for the second time, success was making up his mind that he was not going to use again. It was getting through each day without using. Now, success for John is the ability to truly love and to be loved by others. John says the greatest gift of being in recovery is that he has the opportunity to be a father to his two young daughters. John knows that he cant do this [recovery] alone, and is thankful for the supportive community that he has around him. Joan Hartman, Regional Manager at Chestnut, describes recovery as a decision and a commitment to change what is not working in your life to what does work. She said, Recovery is possible for everyone struggling with addiction to alcohol or other drugs. No matter how many times you may slide backward in your attempts at change, each small change will add up to big changes in the way you view yourself, your loved ones, and your addiction. Take pride in yourself for every change you make, no matter how small, because recovery is not only possible, it is inevitable if you keep working at it. For 40 years, Chestnut Health Systems has provided a full continuum of addiction counseling and treatment services including outpatient, intensive outpatient, and inpatient services. Services are available for adolescents and adults. Their clinically licensed staff cares about their clients and are committed to helping them on their road to recovery. For more information, call Chestnut at 309-8276026, visit www.chestnut.org, or stop in at 1003 Martin Luther King Dr. in Bloomington.
Sources: www.recoverymonth.gov, www.samhsa.gov, williamwhitepapers.com.

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September 2013 Bloomington Healthy Cells Magazine Page 9