We use the word “hope” all the time. We hope someone has a good day, we hope something works out, we hope for the best. This little word plays a big role in our communication with each other. On a bigger scale, hope can be the difference between giving up and holding on. Hope can be the thing that keeps us going. Hope can be the feeling that helps us believe and work for a better life.
For those of us who have experienced addiction and are on the road of recovery, hope plays an instrumental role in our commitment to our work, our healing, and our sobriety. But why is it so important, and how can we stay hopeful, especially if we have endured extraordinarily difficult experiences in our lives?
Hope Encourages Emotional Ownership
Life is dynamic, beautiful, and often full of multiple truths. During the stages of early recovery, it can be hard to express the complex emotions we are experiencing, especially if the feelings seem contradictory or confusing. Speaking to our hope can help us express multiple emotions and acknowledge the full range of what we are feeling. It is empowering to own and share what is truly going on with us.
Practice pairing, if you feel sad yet hopeful, or if you feel disappointed but still positive, about how things are going in your life. “I am angered or saddened about this event, but I’m staying hopeful.” Or, “This hurts so bad, but I’m hopeful. I’m not going to give up.” Having hope or being hopeful does not mean you are denying the harsh reality of the world, only that you are moving through the world with a lens of hope.
Hope Keeps You Hopeful for the Future
Holding out hope can remind yourself of what your goals and dreams are. What are you working towards? What do you hope to accomplish? Reflect on what is truly working well in your life. Do those things give you hope for the future?
Hope is healing in that it can hold space, encouragement, and optimism for the future. While we may be frustrated about how one part of our life is going, we can still hold out hope for a longer-term goal. For example, we may be exhausted by the excruciating work of getting sober, but we are holding out hope that once we have fully detoxed and found stability, we will have ourselves back, and can experience a new, beautiful life. A life where anything is possible.
Or maybe we are in a rigorous school program, and despite the incredible demand and the temptation to quit, we are staying hopeful for graduation, and know the sacrifice will be worth it.
Hope Can Remind You of Your Resiliency and Inspire Self-Leadership
Think back on how much you have overcome in your life. What kept you holding on during those times? What guided you during difficult days? Was it a hope that your strength, courage, or determination would get you through? Take time to reflect on the beacons of hope in your life.
Who inspires you? Who gives you hope for the future? Who are your role models? What do you appreciate about how they hold hope?
Hope Can Encourage you to Get Real and Grieve
Our hope can hold us during times of deep grief and pain. An important part of recovery is working through your past with a mental health counselor, recovery support, or a healing community. Allow yourself to cry, feel, grieve, and purge. And then come back to you, to your hope. Accepting, embracing, experiencing, and releasing emotions will encourage and empower us to come back to what’s true for us, that we carry a foundation of hope. Grieving is a way to let go and rest into a healing hope.
Hope Can Hold You Accountable
Your hope can orient you and keep you committed to your recovery.
Your hope can keep you focused on the positive changes you are making.
Your hope can keep you committed to moving forward in a happy and healthy way.
Your hope can keep you committed to self-care.
Hope can help you rebuild your life.
Hope can help you prioritize yourself.
Hope can help you during the recovery process.
Hope can be what you hold onto.
Hope is an internal resource that you can always carry in your heart.
Are you feeling hopeful, and ready to take more ownership of your life?
Are you ready to heal, grieve, and let go?
Are you ready to use your hope for yourself to hold yourself accountable for healing?
If you are holding out hope for your future, but are seeking support to address issues of substance use, contact us at Ashley Addiction Treatment, located in Northern Maryland. We are a residential treatment facility that provides an opportunity to heal, rest, and restore your life. Our committed staff will walk the hopeful path of recovery by your side, and we will be with you every step of the way. You deserve to live an empowered, confident, and meaningful life, full of joy, hope, and healing. It is time to feel your feelings, grieve, let go, strengthen your inner resourcefulness, connect with leaders and loved ones, and brighten your beacon of hope for your future. To speak with one of our staff members, or to get more information, contact us at 800-799-4673.