Quality of Life

When we think about quality of life, we often think about things like our cars, money, or the size of our TV screens. True quality of life actually refers more directly to your experiences and the emotions that go along with them.  What good is money or things if you are void of meaningful experience?  Quality of life is at the heart of recovery.  What the recovering person seeks is a meaningful and quality experience of life.  The more a person’s emotional experience is spent in bitterness, worry, isolation, or other unpleasant states, the less that person can experience satisfaction, fun, enjoyment, and other pleasurable emotions.

Having Fun in Recovery

Everyone needs to have fun.  Giving up alcohol or drugs does not mean giving up fun. In fact, a person whose mind, body, and lifestyle are no longer addicted can have more fun in more ways than ever before.  The difference is that ‘fun’ with alcohol or drugs was automatic; drink or take drugs and feel good. Now, most alcohol or drug free pleasures take some doing at first. A person whose nervous system has adjusted to an abnormal situation has to readjust.

Enjoying new things is a learning process that takes practice.  You have to try new things regularly.  Build the skills and confidence to keep doing the things you particularly enjoy and make them part of your lifestyle.  It can take time, but alcohol and drug-free pleasures tend to grow as time passes.

To have good times that you can feel happy about in recovery takes participation, enthusiasm, practice, and support. In recovery, participation is the name of the game.  Real satisfaction and enjoyment comes from doing.

Whatever you do, get into it!  Be enthusiastic.  You do not have to be jumping for joy, but at least be open to having a good time.  Remember you are changing.  Your attitudes and expectations have a lot to do with how you experience things.  So, if you want to have some fun, go for it!