Why Surrender Is the Foundation of Recovery
Surrender in recovery is the only path forward for chronic addicts and alcoholics. Throughout this article, we use the term addict to refer to both. The core problem isn’t the substance — it’s an extreme case of selfishness and self-centeredness.
Waking someone up to that truth is extremely difficult and most often requires genuine surrender. Highly structured sober living creates the environment where addicts are forced to submit to a way other than their own. But it only works when coupled with the Twelve Step process and a self-imposed crisis the addict can no longer evade.
This article is written for the hopeless, chronically relapsing addict who wants to stop but cannot.
Addicts must be brought to a turning point — a place where they know their own ideas and answers are hopeless. They must be split wide open until the voice of the liar within finally goes dormant.
This brief period is often called a window of grace. It’s at this point that most addicts end up in a treatment center or recovery program — but the window is always temporary before the liar reasserts itself.
So, how do we combat this situation? How do we take advantage of this window of grace? By implementing highly structured spiritual sober living programs rooted in The Twelve Steps and forcing addicts to submit to a way other than their own throughout the entire recovery and sober living experience.
Why Self-Help and Choice-Based Models Fail Chronic Addicts
New-age contemporary models of therapy and counseling work with drug abusers and hard addicts. They do not work for the real addict who has completely lost the power of choice over drugs or alcohol.
What does losing the power of choice mean? When real addicts begin to drink or use, they cannot control the amount. When they stop, they cannot stay away from the first one — no matter the necessity or the wish. Losing the power of choice is like losing a leg: you never grow a new one.
This is why programs that promote self-help, self-empowerment, and better choice-making do not work for addicts of the hopeless variety. These are people who want to quit but can’t on their own.
We’re all for an addict re-creating his life if his ideals are grounded in love and service for others. But letting badly mangled addicts make their own decisions about extended care after detox is dangerous — and in many cases, fatal.
