You have almost certainly arrived at this blog looking for information about substance use disorders, co-occurring mental health disorders, the treatment process, and the recovery journey. That’s fair enough—and we promise we’ll get there shortly. But first, we want to talk about the Olympics.
If you watched any of the coverage of the recently completed Winter Olympics, the odds are pretty good you saw a lot of falling.
Figure skaters fell. Skiers fell. Snowboarders fell. Speed skaters fell. Hockey players fell.
You get the idea. Gravity was in full effect in Italy—and a lot of athletes got to experience it firsthand.
But if you were watching, your viewing experience was certainly not limited to people falling down. Instead, you saw an awful lot of people get back up and try again, too. And even if a fall led to disappointment, many athletes took it in stride—or even celebrated the difficulties they had overcome.
Take Chloe Kim, a fan favorite among the snowboarders. In the snowboard halfpipe final, she needed a big score on her last run to earn the gold medal. She crashed and had to settle for silver. How did Kim—a superstar in her sport—respond to her results? Here’s what she told Olumpics.com:
“This is so special to me. A month ago, it wasn’t looking too good for me to even come out and I got no reps on snow, so the fact that I was able to come out here makes me so proud and I’m so happy to walk away with a medal. All I’m going to say is that I might be the baddest b**** I know. When I have to come back and face adversity, it was such a mental challenge, and I’m so proud of myself for just getting through and just fighting.”
What does all of this talk of falling and getting up and being proud of oneself have to do with the recovery journey? We’re glad you asked.
Recovery Is Hard
One thing we know about Olympic athletes is that they work hard in order to be able to do what they do. People in recovery work hard, too, as they navigate a variety of challenges that arise and put in the day-to-day effort required to stay away from drugs or alcohol.
Each day of accomplishment—even if it is not a perfect day—is worth celebrating in recovery. When recovery feels like a grind and you keep at it, you are doing the hard work that is necessary to achieve the outcome you want.
Setbacks Are Real
Plenty of athletes who were predicted to win their events came up short during the Winter Olympics. Some long-awaited comebacks—like that of skier Lindsey Vonn, who was helicoptered off the mountain after a crash—were all too brief or ended in disappointment. Other athletes tried to compete despite injury—whether sustained before or during the games—and struggled.
Of course, setbacks are often a part of recovery, too. The worst sort of setback—a relapse—might feel like a catastrophic crash from which you cannot possibly recover. But just like a determined Olympian, you can do the hard work of starting again in pursuit of your most important goal.
Winning Is Personal
Remember the way Chloe Kim celebrated her second-place finish? For Kim, the experience was a victory because of all she had gone through to get back to the Olympics. Throughout the games, we saw people achieve their personal bests in events—and celebrate joyously even if that effort didn’t get them onto the podium with a medal around their necks.
Recovery, of course, is not a competition at all. Doing your personal best to maintain your recovery over time—and to get back on track if something goes awry—is the whole game. And again, each day that does not include drug or alcohol use should be considered a victory.
Let’s Get Your Recovery Underway
Located near St. Louis, Missouri, The Aviary Recovery Center may not win Olympic medals, but we are regularly recognized as one of the best substance use disorder treatment centers in the country. You can count on us for top-notch care as we help you free yourself from drugs or alcohol—and as we address any mental health disorders that may be entangled with your substance use disorder.
Our program starts with medically supervised detoxification to ensure you can get the drugs or alcohol out of your system in an environment that is safe, as comfortable as possible, and free from temptations. Rehab follows detox, and during this part of treatment, you will participate in group and individual therapy sessions while learn skills and strategies that will serve you well in recovery. And when your time in treatment comes to an end, our alumni program provides ongoing support and resources while keeping you connected with others who understand what you have been through and the challenges you may be facing as your recovery journey gets underway.
When you are ready to make a change worthy of a gold medal, we are ready to help.
