Is recovery the same thing as treatment?
Treatment of addiction requires that the addicted person be an active participant in their recovery. Treatment and recovery are related - but are not exactly the same thing.

Treatment is something that one person does or provides to another. Recovery is a process in which we engage on our own behalf.

An addictions counselor or treatment provider can provide suggestions for recovery from addiction - they can point the way and / or talk about what is necessary for another person to do in their recovery - but there is nothing that a doctor, therapist or counselor can do to the addicted person and that will make their tendency to addiction to disappear.

The tradition of recovery relies on mutual support. Those in recovery demonstrate what is possible by their life in recovery. They talk of and pass their experience to others - about what they have had to do to recover - of what has worked for them and what has not.

The document SupportNet Summarized offers further explanation of recovery from addiction – and the reasons why personal participation is necessary. SupportNet Summarized may be found in the About SupportNet section.

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The Recovery Learning Series is long. Do I have to know all this?
There are twenty-seven topics in the SupportNet Recovery Learning Series - divided into three sections.

Addiction is a condition that can affect us at the core of who we are - and it can have impact on all areas of our life, work and relations. Recovery counteracts the driving energy of addiction - offers an approach to healing - and directions for a new way to enjoy life.

The first six topics in the Recovery Learning Series cover the basic information necessary to understand the condition of addiction - and to gain a strong foothold in recovery.

The remainder of the Learning Series topics are divided into two sections - The Principles of Recovery - and The Ways of Recovery. The twenty one topics included in these two sections explain the important topics of recovery in greater detail.

Together - the twenty seven topics in the SupportNet Recovery Learning Series offer the standard learnings that would be taught in any residential treatment or aftercare program.

It is not important to know everything in the Learning Series for you to begin a path of recovery. The important thing to realize today - is the destructive impact of addiction on your life - the need to find another way.

But deciding to not use - and learning to enjoy life on a day to day basis over time - without the use of intoxicating drugs - means that we must find alternate ways to approach the challenges that life will place in our path. Personality and pride are always ready to bring conflict and stress to our life. Their ways run deep - and are sometimes not easily seen for what they are.

Bottom line is the more you know - the better you will be prepared for what may come your way - and the more likely that an empowered recovery will lead you to a life of greater satisfaction and peace.

The Recovery Learning Series is not information to read and set aside. Its words follow from the experience of many - passed to many more - and providing direction for enjoyable living in sobriety - one day at a time - over time.

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