Those in addiction treatment might solely focus on getting sober; however, there is much more to healing from addiction than ending substance use. Our tagline at Vill Oasis San Diego is “Sobriety is a symptom of a fulfilled purpose.” This means those interested in sobriety need to look at their life and make the changes they need in order to feel fulfillment, motivation, and direction.
Staying Sober Is Only the Beginning
Often, the assumption is that rehab is only about ending substance use. A person might expect after detox that the following steps will be around learning tactics to stay off of substances. However, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. The path to sobriety is much bigger than that.
Taking a Look at Your Life
Treatment at Villa Oasis is more than just treating symptoms of addiction. Instead, we tackle the more significant questions. Why do you use substances? Why do you feel unfulfilled? What steps do you need to take to change that behavior?
It can often be challenging to put your life under a microscope. It can be scary if you’re used to avoiding your problems and letting life flow by. However, in order to attain fulfillment, you need to face these things head-on. First, it would help if you gained a sense of understanding about your life and your place in it. Then you need to decide if you’re okay with the current place you’re in.
Reassessing Your Values
One issue people face with finding fulfillment and purpose is that they don’t know what matters to them. Somewhere along the line, they lost sight of what they cared about. They took the backseat. Finding fulfillment requires you to think about your values and how you can prioritize them.
A value can be anything. For example, you might be a homemaker who values family. You also might be a business person. The work you do or could do might center around your values. You might value hard work, ambition, or innovation. If you aren’t sure what you value, think about things you feel drawn to. Think about what you feel most passionate about, whether it makes you happy or angry.
Finding Your Purpose in Life
Knowing your place in the world and what you intend to do with your time on Earth can create the building blocks that will help you find direction in life and develop the goals that will get you there. If you’ve taken the time to sort out your values, you’ll be able to know what matters to you most. Values let you see the bigger picture, which is essential to determining your purpose.
Joy can also help you find purpose. Think about the things that make you happy. It might be your children, helping others, new experiences, or creating something new. These things can give you insight into what you should pursue. Feeling joy is a step towards fulfillment. You should chase happiness, not just temporary happiness, but the things that warm you deep down.
Creating Goals and Finding Direction
If you feel confident that you’ve found your purpose, or at the very least, you have a hunch of what your purpose could be, then it’s time to create a plan for the future. Finding your purpose but then never pursuing it keeps you from feeling fulfilled. These dreams only sit in your mind, unrealized. This is why you need to pave the road to get there.
Don’t feel pressured to fully understand your purpose right away. As you begin your journey of finding fulfillment, you might discover that your perspectives change and evolve. Along the way, something else might inspire you and change your life direction. That’s okay. You aren’t expected to predict the future. The goal is to avoid staying stagnant.
When creating and setting goals, the first step is to think of something you’d like to accomplish that is related to your intention or, at the very least, aligns with one of your values. It doesn’t need to be small—think big. Don’t worry; you won’t need to accomplish this goal right out of the gate.
When you think of this enormous goal, break that goal into smaller steps. These are the ones you will focus on accomplishing over time. Smaller goals with smaller steps can ensure that you aren’t setting yourself up for failure when pursuing your dreams and finding meaning. You’re just taking the baby steps to get there. These goals can work as your road map to fulfillment, and you can always adjust and alter the route whenever you need to.
If you feel lost in life, there are steps that you can take to find yourself again. Sobriety can be challenging if you don’t have a sense of purpose or meaning. Following dreams that align with your values and what makes you happy can give you that sense of fulfillment in life. Your life experiences can bring you the joy you deserve. You don’t need to take the backseat in your life. Instead, you can take the time to learn about yourself and what really matters to you as an individual. Re-focusing your life can inspire you to keep going without needing to turn to substances to give life meaning. If you’re interested in learning more about re-focusing your life in treatment and recovery, Villa Oasis San Diego can help you navigate your way into finding fulfillment. To learn more, call us today at (323) 739-8673.
