Thought: ‘Recovery, like any growth, is imperceptible but looks dramatic in retrospect.’
Addictions UK shares inspirational Thoughts each day on Twitter. This article is based on one of them.
“My, how you’ve grown!” It’s something we heard often when we were children, from Aunts and Uncles we hadn’t seen in a while. And now we catch ourselves saying it, or at least thinking it, about people or pets or the lawn when we get back from holiday!
Day by day growth goes unnoticed. It’s only when we remember how things were or return after an absence that we realise how great the change has been.
Small changes matter. Dave Brailsford, the coach for the British 2012 Olympic cyclists put success down to “The aggregation of marginal gains”. Little improvements, too small to notice, all add up and the apparently insignificant starts to matter.
When people face challenges like addiction to drugs or alcohol or anything else it’s sometimes very hard to see when things are getting better. That’s especially true when you try to assess yourself. It’s only over time that the little changes start to add up and the big change becomes noticeable.
It’s vital that we are not discouraged by apparent lack of progress, even by setbacks. What matters is the overall trend and the long term development.
Follow us at @addictionsuk. Please contact us now if you need help with recovery from any addiction and especially if you are seeking home-based treatment.
