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Recovery for quite a few individuals struggling with alcoholism or drug addiction begins with getting clean and sober.  If individuals have been abusing alcohol or drugs for most of their life, then oftentimes this path of recovery starts with a stay in a inpatient drug and alcohol detox center followed by longer term addiction treatment either in an residential addiction treatment center or in an outpatient environment.  This is followed by additional work to grow in their recovery and construct the life that they desire.

Recovery is a lifelong journey.  So the commitment to an addiction treatment center is just the first chapter in the path.  For most people truly interested in existing clean and sober, the road to recovery is not seen as a burden but rather a chance for growth.  It's a chance to grow well beyond their old life which was shackled by their substance abuse issues.

The emotional maturity enabled by recovery work lets recovering addicts to be honest with themselves and to set boundaries in relation to people and their surroundings.  While a few may think this to be a life less lived, those who have sunk far enough down in their addiction know that the serenity provided by honesty and taking life one day at a time far exceeds anything that could have been  missed in their old life.

The path of recovery is a long road, but one that is not to be seen as burdensome.  When we move ahead taking care of today and having excitement about the challenges of tomorrow, we will find that life will begin to have a meaning all its own-not one we force upon it by following what we think others want for us. If you're struggling with alcohol or drug addiction, and therefore life, take the first step in your path of recovery by contacting an addiction treatment center.  It could be the call that opens up a whole new phase in your life that brings you unexpected joy.