Improvisation—the art of creating something on the spot—is a key part of two wonderful art forms.
And, we would argue, it can also be a helpful concept for a person in recovery from a substance use disorder.
Improv comedy (like you would see on Whose Line Is It Anyway?) involves riffing on an idea without any advance preparation. Often, an improv comic has to react in the moment to something another comic has said to keep the bit going—and the results can be absolutely hilarious.
Meanwhile, jazz is a kind of music that values both collaboration with others and individual expression. A good improviser makes new music inside the form of the song they are performing—creating something brand new that contributes to the shared performance. The result can be electric, thrilling an audience and inspiring the other players on the bandstand.
How does all of this apply to your recovery journey? Let’s take a look at how a spirit of improvisation can support your ongoing sobriety.
Build on the Fundamentals for Recovery Success
In both improv comedy and jazz, there are some fundamental ideas and skills that make the improvisation work. For example, improv comedy is often described as a “yes, and” activity—meaning you accept whatever your scene partner has said or done and build on it. In jazz, a deep knowledge of music, skill on the instrument, and a commitment to collaboration make improvisation possible.
Living in recovery from a substance use disorder also involves building on fundamental principles and practices that support your efforts to stay sober. These fundamentals include (but are not limited to):
- Attending 12-Step or other recovery program meetings
- Building a strong network of supportive friends and family
- Exercising regularly, eating healthily, and sleeping restfully
- Pursuing interests and activities that keep you engaged and help you relax and recharge
The Fundamentals Provide Space for Improvisation in Recovery
On the one hand, it might seem like the fundamentals we list above limit your options to some rote activities that you have to do over and over again to maintain your sobriety. But look at the list again.
Turns out, there is plenty of room for personal choices—improvisations, if you will—that build on those fundamental ideas and actions.
You can see these possibilities in the first two on our list—attending recovery program meetings and building a strong support network. After all, you can choose among the various recovery programs and then decide how to participate in those meetings and in that community. Also, you can forge relationships with people of your choosing—as long as they support your sobriety and will help you maintain it in difficult moments.
But it is really in the last two items on the list where you can improvise in ways that bring out your personality. For example, you should exercise regularly—and what kind of exercise you decide to do is entirely up to you. You should eat healthily—and that opens up a world of potential culinary experiences. You should sleep restfully—and you can establish your own nighttime routine that supports your ability to drift off and sleep through the night.
And when it comes to engaging activities that help you rest, recharge, and reset from the stress in your daily life, the sky’s the limit. As long as your chosen activity does not tempt you to take drugs or drink alcohol, you can pursue whatever strikes your fancy.
Heck, if you are so inclined, you might even support your local improv comedy troupe (or even try your hand at it) or take up listening to (or even playing) jazz.
Before You Can Improvise, You Have to Get Sober
When you are struggling with a substance use disorder, it can feel like your whole life has been reduced to your need for drugs or alcohol. You may desperately want to reclaim your sobriety, but it may seem impossible—especially if you have tried to do it on your own and have experienced the rigors of withdrawal. You know you can’t keep ingesting the substance that is upending your health and your life, but you also know that you can’t weather the storm of withdrawal symptoms that upend your resolve.
Fortunately, there is a way out of the trap. At Wooded Glen Recovery Center—located in Henryville, Indiana—we offer treatment for substance use disorders and for co-occurring mental health disorders that may be entangled with your drug or alcohol use. Our inpatient program includes medically supervised detoxification so that you can get sober in a safe environment where withdrawal symptoms can be effectively managed. After detox, we offer a rehabilitation program designed to give you the knowledge, resources, and support you need to maintain your sobriety over time. And our continuum of care ensures you can start your recovery journey knowing that we always have your back.
When you are ready to reclaim your sobriety and your life, we are ready to help.