Good People Still Exist… Yes, Even in Recovery
This post isn’t meant for people in recovery. Not really. Oh, it’s meant to support them alright, but not to address them. Not specifically. It doesn’t need to be. After all, we already know good people still exist, especially in recovery. Folks outside the sobriety sphere however don’t always seem so sure about that. They question whether there are good people in recovery. Then they doubt. Worse, they jump to foregone conclusions without even having the facts. And that sets everyone back. It also makes no sense. Because recovery doesn’t simply include good people; it can include some of the best people you’ve ever met.
Really.
When Good People Attack
We get it though. We really do. After all, addicts and alcoholics generally suffer a whole lot more than Substance Use Disorder (SUD), and one of the worst is a mistake in judgment. When the body is screaming for drugs or alcohol there’s no telling what an active addict or alcoholic will do. They’ll beg and they’ll borrow. They’ll lie and they’ll cheat. And yes, they’ll even steal. Often from the same people. If those people happen to be the people that are closest to them, well, so be it. And they won’t think twice about it either.
This creates some frosty relationships. In fact, it often completely ends relationships. After all, who wants to stay friends with someone who just lied and cheated and stole from them? Heck, staying close to such a person would be a problem even for immediate family.
But that person who begged and borrowed and lied and cheated and stole isn’t your normal friend or family member. They’re someone in the grip of addiction, which is the most insidious disease known to humankind. And once addiction has its grip around someone’s neck, they’ll transform into whatever it takes to breathe, even if that means harming those they hold closest.
That doesn’t mean they’re bad people though. It simply means they’re doing bad things. And they did those things because of drugs and alcohol. Take drugs and alcohol out of the equation and you have the person you’ve known and loved. You know, the one you call dad or son or brother or friend.
Good News: People Can Recover and Thrive After Mental Illness and Substance-Use Disorders
That’s the headline in an April 5th, 2022 post circulated by Newswise on behalf of the Association for Psychological Science (APS). APS happens to be the global scientific home of more than 25,000 leading psychological science researchers, practitioners, teachers, and students from across all continents. In other words, they know a thing or three about a thing or three.
One of those things they know is “new research reports that many people who have suffered from mental illness and substance use disorder are able to thrive and lead a high-functioning life.” The research was published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science. And it upends the same-old, same-old which is generally attached to the field.
“Our research tells us how many people can recover from a mental illness and go on to experience a life with high levels of well-being and functioning,” said Andrew Devendorf, a researcher at the University of South Florida and lead author of the article. “Contrary to traditional clinical wisdom, we found that mental illness and substance-use disorders may reduce but do not prevent the possibility of thriving.”
The researchers even found that though longer mental breaks or multiple bouts of SUD may reduce a person’s chances at thriving, it by no means eliminates their chances. It simply means a bit more work may be required. That’s great news for anyone who’s relapsed a time or three.
It’s also great news for anyone who’s wondering if their friend or family member will ever come back from the brink.
Association for Psychological Science
The APS About Page says it’s dedicated to advancing scientific psychology across disciplinary and geographic borders and committed to spreading the good word, as well as the good work. We take that to mean building an ever more robust field of Psychological Science research and application.
That includes:
Considering Psychological Science encompasses a remarkable diversity of topics and subdisciplines, and APS in turn represents a remarkably diverse array of Psychological Science operatives, we believe these are just the sort of good people who should be trusted to find the facts of this matter. Furthermore, we believe they’re perfectly suited to find ways we can best apply said facts. And we eagerly look forward to all they find and develop.
Let’s Give Everyone a Chance
Healing Properties has been helping good people return to the fold for 20 solid years. Yes, we’ve seen people do bad things. In fact, we’ve seen people dive into depths so dark you’d think they’d never return. But we’ve also seen those people work their way back up into the light. And yes, we’ve seen how much those transformations mean to the friends and family, as well as how much the friends and family means to those who transformed.
That good person you know and love didn’t completely abandon you and the world – they simply lost their way for a spell. And when they return, they’ll be better than you can even imagine.
No foolin.’
Sure, sometimes it takes a minute. Other times it might take more than a few minutes. But it eventually happens. Sure it takes work. It also takes hope and faith. Not just from the person working their way back from the brink, but from that person’s friends and family. You’d be surprised how much an encouraging word can mean to someone who wants nothing more than to right themselves from a world of wrong.
Actually, you probably wouldn’t be surprised. Not if you’ve ever received the support of a loved one when you most needed it. Because you’ll well know how much it consoled you – and how far it drove you forward too.
What about you anyway? Are you missing someone you know and love? Have they gone astray? Would you like help bringing them back into the fold? Might that someone actually be you?
No matter. Help is out there. It could be for them. It could be for you. Or it could be for the both of you. All you’ve gotta do is call. Yep, it’s really as simple as that.
(Image Shutterstock)
