How to Stop Running In Circles
How to Stop Running In Circles
Circle is one of those words that can have several interpretive meanings. Webster’s dictionary defines circle as, “a closed plane curve every point which is equidistant from a fixed point within a curve”. A circle has no edges and is infinite and can be exhausting if you get stuck walking in one. For all intents and purposes, the word circle is the best way to describe addiction and the life that addiction takes on. As addicts we often find ourselves reliving what feels like déjà vu. It’s familiar, you’ve been here before but you just can’t put your finger on it. With addiction, it is more literal and you probably have experienced that very same event before. In addiction a circle could mean:
- The hamster wheel of substance abuse.
- A group of substance abusing friends.
Using drugs and alcohol usually involves the same people, places and things. This is how most addicts in recovery end up relapsing. Choosing not to make both behavioral and psychological changes are continuing factors in the never ending loop of alcohol and drug addiction. Areas that need to be examined for change in maintaining sobriety are:
- Friends – Who do you choose to surround yourself with?
- Social Interactions – What do you choose to do?
- Thoughts – What occupies your mind?
- Actions – What occupies your time?
Drug rehab begins to address these issues; however, the real work is when you return home from treatment. It is so easy to fall back into circular patterns of old friends, behaviors, thoughts and actions. Putting off the old and putting on the new will help you stop running in circles and decrease the chance of another admission into drug rehab.
