As an addiction professional, I have had the opportunity to work in the addiction space for over 20 years. During this time, I have seen addiction treatment evolve; however, the pace has been slow and at times frustrating and debilitating for the patients that have been served. The addiction industry has made the error of measuring success or defining recovery as being free from substance use, as testing “negative”, or being “clean” from substances.
At Symetria Recovery, we have the fortune of helping redefine success and recovery for our patients. We recognize that success looks different for each patient. Success might mean showing up for treatment each and every week despite the setbacks faced in one’s personal life which often include the death of a loved one, urgings to return to use by previous acquaintances, continued substance use, or overwhelming life circumstances such as raising children on one’s own or the loss of a job. Success for another person may be more obvious – complete abstinence from substances, securing an advanced employment opportunity, or buying one’s first home. This type of success is easy to recognize.
At Symetria Recovery, we have the honor of helping to change the definition of success by ensuring we recognize that any positive change, no matter how big or little, is a success for our patient. Each of these incremental changes leads to big successes and major gains that multiply and build confidence leading to even bigger successes. It’s imperative that we redefine success and recovery for each patient we serve and continue to recognize that any positive change is success.