Have you ever been stuck in a drive-thru waiting on your burger and fries or your fancy coffee or what have you? You might have been anticipating this meal or cup of joe for hours and feel excited to finally have a chance to visit the restaurant or coffee shop.
Maybe you got in the drive-thru line assuming that the cars in front of you—maybe two or five or ten—would soon clear away as folks paid for and collected their orders. Maybe you quickly realized that things were moving very slowly indeed but you couldn’t escape the line because of all the people now behind you. Maybe your feelings of impatience began to overwhelm you, tempting you to lay on your horn even though you knew that would not help the situation at all. Maybe you found yourself snapping at the employee when you finally made it to the front of the line—only to regret your behavior as you pulled away.
Anticipation and impatience can often be two sides of the same coin. When you are looking forward to something, being made to wait can be quite frustrating.
That idea applies to substance use disorder treatment and recovery, too. When you decide to get the help you need, you will likely feel a sense of excitement and anticipation. When you go through the necessary process, however, you will likely encounter some moments that make you feel impatient. And the same is true when treatment comes to an end. Your recovery will be full of some moments of anticipation and some moments of impatience.
Anticipation and Impatience are Inevitable
Frequently in this blog, we offer guidance for how to avoid or lessen the impact of something that might threaten your recovery. We have offered advice about dealing with cravings, for example. We have suggested some ways to address stress. And we have considered how having a “news budget” can be good for your mental health and thereby good for your ongoing recovery.
In this entry, however, we are doing something a little different. We are simply acknowledging that anticipation and impatience are both likely to be part of your journey both during treatment and afterward.
For example, you might feel anticipation around breaking your dependence on drugs or alcohol in treatment. But the process itself—the medically supervised detoxification, the group and individual therapy sessions, and more—might inspire feelings of impatience.
And after treatment comes to an end, you might feel anticipation around all the possibilities life holds for you again. But you might also experience impatience because recovery involves ongoing work that might feel like a burden and a distraction from all you hope to accomplish.
That might not seem very encouraging. But our point is an important one. During treatment and in recovery, you may feel anticipation and impatience—even at the same time! Being aware of that reality can make it easy to navigate your way through your recovery journey. You have the opportunity to enjoy feelings of anticipation while understanding they won’t last forever. And by the same token, you have the opportunity to muddle through feelings of impatience while understanding that they won’t last forever either.
Both feelings are as natural as they are inevitable—and you can experience both without giving up your hard-won recovery.
Do Not Wait to Make a Change for the Better
When you are struggling with drugs or alcohol, it can be tempting to make little bargains with yourself. You might decide that you will get help if you ever miss a day of work due to substance use. Then, after you have missed a day of work, you might decide you will get help if you ever miss a payment on a bill as a result of the amount of money you are spending on drugs or alcohol. Then, after you miss a payment, you might decide you will get help if you ever miss a friend or family member’s important event due to drug or alcohol use. And so on.
Here is a simple truth: The best time to get treatment for a substance use disorder is right now. Waiting only allows the substances to chip away at your mental health, your physical health, your finances, your relationships, and much more. When you realize you have a problem with drugs or alcohol, do not hesitate. Pursue treatment right away.
Wooded Glen Recovery Center in Henryville, IN, has been consistently recognized as one of the best substance use disorder treatment centers in the country. That means you can rely on us to provide personalized treatment including medically supervised detoxification, a robust rehabilitation program during which we can also address any co-occurring mental health disorders, and a continuum of care that ensures you can start your recovery journey with confidence. And if residential treatment is not an option for you, we also offer an intensive outpatient program.
We anticipate that we can help you reclaim your life—and we are impatient to get started.