Recovery for EveryoneSample

An Early Plan for Recovery

There are some basic principles that can help sustain your recovery from addiction. Early recovery is not simply understanding the facts, nor is it simply talking about addiction. Recovery goes much deeper than talking about what was done in the past. 

Commandment 1 - Morning prayer

Prayer is something that many addicts early in recovery find difficult to do, especially if they have been avoiding God because of the shame and guilt of their behavior (or possibly because of what was done to them in the past). Consistent prayer at the start of the day is simply a behavior that can change the addict’s disposition. 

Commandment 2 - Phone calls

Making a phone call can be the very thing that saves you from an acting out experience today. The first step of the Twelve Steps talks about the word “we.” “We” means that you need someone else in your program to help you. Do you remember what we covered earlier, about healing being in the body of Christ? 

The best way to utilize commandment 2 is to make one phone call in the morning to another recovering addict, preferably someone in your Recovery for Everyone group. Tell them you are a recovering addict and that you are not in trouble, but that if you get in trouble during the day, you are going to call them. 

Like prayer, the phone is a tool you can use to help yourself grow stronger, especially within the first 30-90 days, when your need for other people to help is the greatest. The people you call will benefit just as much, if not more, when you call them. 

Commandment 3 - Reading

Reading recovery material specifically related to your addictive behavior is important. There are many books on the market you can read. It is very important to read some material every day. It is most beneficial to read in the morning. Addicts need to be reminded of what may be in store for them each day. Sometimes, what you read will come to mind in a difficult time. Recovery thoughts you glean from your reading can be the very tools you need to get out of your tough situation; giving you the strength to fight it. 

Commandment 4 - Go to meetings

Meetings are basically meant to support you, while at the same time, allow you the opportunity to give to others what you have learned through your own personal journey of recovery. Being around other recovering addicts who are getting free is going to help you. First, it is going to give you increased hope as you see others with various addictive issues move from bondage to recovery. Second, you may believe that if they can do it, you can too. You can learn many things from others in recovery that they have learned through their own negative or positive experiences. I want to encourage you to go to as many meetings as possible. 

Commandment 5 - Pray again

This may sound like work because it is. You can read commandment 1 again to remind you that this is not something you have to like or agree with; it is something you just have to do, behaviorally. At the end of the day, if you are free, pray a prayer of thanksgiving for a day of freedom. Freedom isn’t something you do by yourself; it is something you do with the help of God and others. If there are any other issues from the day you want to talk to God about, you can bring them up in the same prayer. It is important to end your day in a spiritual place in addition to starting the day this way. 

The recovery program that is going to work is spiritual in nature. Since you were born a spirit, with a soul, living in a body (1 Thessalonians 5:23), it is important to reestablish your own walk with the Lord. Make this a time of being thankful that you had a day of recovery. Even the worst day in recovery is something to be thankful for, because even on the best day without recovery, you were covered with shame, guilt, and fear. So, if you have any relief from those feelings, I believe it is appropriate to pray and thank Jesus for all He has done for you so you could be free.