The Diamond Model of R.E.C.O.V.E.R.Y.
Our Next post will be returning to examine the actual "structure" of the diamond model but we would like to take a brief opportunity to remind everyone that it is an interpretive model meant to be flexible and alterable to the individual's needs. The First Course in The Sobering Truth Series Workshop is ** " Free and always will be " **. We also have other techniques that we have made available in other blog posts:
*The Crucible Exercise- to help one rid themselves of negative emotions, memories, unproductive conceptions of self through thorough self-examination and a constructive process that is entirely self-driven . We will always be here to provide support and guidance in all of our exercises!
*Forward Positive Momentum Evaluation System- a system to help us measure our progress in terms of our ambitions, motivation, and self-confidence. It's an inexpensive test that is essentially self-administered and confidential.
How do we find our way back? Surely, we have deprecated any chance for hope from our lives through the decisions we've made? The people we've alienated and hurt and the places of humiliation, embarrassment, anger or even violence seem like an hour glass as the time keepers of our noxious deeds; veritable monuments to our "sins". Perhaps, at points we've been so low that we contemplated our very existence: "I'm such a bad person - maybe I should just end it all." The alternative is that as addicts we inflict a sort of slow death upon ourselves and seek comfort through the use of chemicals. Our self-destruction is a less immediate but equally inevitable ticking time-bomb. We lost the basic meaning of life because we became consumed by the turmoil of our own emotions- something happened to us and it tore us so deeply that the wound seemed un-healable. It was either "do or die" some of us chose to do what wasn't easy and others of us chose the former.
Let's go back for a second. What is the meaning of Life?
The meaning of life is to find purpose in our suffering and to work towards realistic, constructive, even reparative goals in a way that is synonymous with who we truly are as individuals participating in the group we call society. No matter who you are or where you come from there is always a meaning to your life. Your meaning WILL definitely be different than mine and everyone else's . In meaning there is hope. Every situation is an infinite extension of a myriad of possibilities- the universe is vast and the potentials it carries are endless. It would do well for us to contemplate when we reach that critical low the hugeness of existence and the smallness of the current circumstances. Everyday is a gift. In Alcoholics Anonymous the principle of "one day at a time" transcends the structural threshold of the program itself; a search for meaning goes well beyond the addict. In our former workshop we spoke of self-actualization as Maslow demonstrated with his hierarchy. We have basic physiological, psychological, emotional needs. Human needs that need to be met for us to self-actualize and be the driving Forward Positive Momentum that traverses the rough seas of life.
Self-actualization is a double-edged blade. On one hand is the complete fulfillment of our needs and the realization of what Nietzsche called the Übermensch : the person who could transcend anything life had to throw at them. Upon the opposite pole lies the human being attempting to gain this sense of self. Ultimately, we are mentally strong beings , some of us physically strong but at our very core the essence of what it is to be human is indeed a fragile thing. In short too much of a lack of one of these fundamental needs is enough to dematerialize the progress someone has made and cause them quite literally to enter an existential crisis and come tumbling down the pyramid. Prior to engaging in the action of self-actualization one should engage in "transcending the self" or in modern parlance "get over yourself". This is not to say that one should devalue themselves or their life and simply say : "well that's it I'm a big wuss and I guess I'll just have to shove on." Quite the contrary! This is far too trite a statement to be true. It is precisely our ability to reason and to make sense of the chaos in our lives that gives us such a unique perspective on living. A human being can dream and within these dreams a labyrinth of complex associations and meanings float into the mind's eye revealing a world that is often even very remarkable to the one who witnesses it! There are many theories as to why we dream and many explanations of the physical phenomenon exist but at it's core a dream can be interpreted as the latent material laying dormant within the subconscious. We call people "dreamers" that often purport to have lofty ambitions. Our goals, wishes, desires , memories and experiences all lie within the scope of the unconscious. We used to believe that the subconscious exists in a low energy state while we slept but neurological research has highlighted that in fact while we dream our brain becomes very very active. Examining our dreams in terms of goals helps us to see why at times we dream of fantastic things that we have always wanted to obtain or experience but were either too afraid to actually go out and do because of society or perhaps simply out of our own fears of the thing or situation itself. What holds back dreams/goals is fear. When we become afraid we lost the ability to appreciate positive qualities in our lives and it restricts our perspective to the problem we're facing rather than looking forward to finding a solution. While the meaning of life is different for each and every person the essential need to live a life worth living is one that stands at the centre of each and every person's very core of being. Before we start down the path to actualizing, during the process of recovery we need to redefine our selves we need to find a meaning in : "who am I, what am I going to do with my life?" We have steps in the program for exactly this reason, we say one day , one step at a time because we haven't gained the psychological strength to climb the mountain of needs. We may only address one situation at a time in order to cultivate the best possible outcome. For those contemplating addiction, or those contemplating suicide I would ask but one question : "What reason do you have to live?" This may seem like an emboldened approach but I would like to challenge this idea for the time being. Even if you are in neither one of these circumstances there is ALWAYS a reason to live despite the gravest of circumstances. The situation you may find you're in though it is very distressing is but one small facet of a larger sequence of events- a sequence of events that YOU are the catalyst for that you alone bear the responsibility for facilitating. Sometimes the burden of responsibility can seem very daunting and we don't want to deal with the intricasies of the acceptance-guilt paradigm so like the electron we seek the path of least resistance because we are conditioned as human beings to seek efficiency. Sometimes efficiency, is a fantastical way of explicating the virtues of laziness... but that is another discussion. We choose the easy way out in order to avoid responsibility and pain. To the life, the loved ones, the accomplishments you might leave behind addictions and/or suicide are the path of least resistance. Everyone , everywhere gets low, everyone , everywhere suffers. It is the dignity, courage, and self-respect we afford ourselves in this suffering that defines who we are truly. Be brave, be true, be strong, and love yourself. Love yourself and realize that you are someone worth living for, someone who deserves a chance to live a meaningful life.
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