Human connection is key. Going to meetings daily the first days of recovery means you get to connect with like-minded people. It’s not just a matter of exchanging ideas and words. Being physically around people who are actively seeking health and wellness has a physical benefit. We have the potential to relax each other in-person. Early morning meetings you will find people who have more balance and longer recovery time. Some of the program language might be overbearing… I found it draining to have to caveat everything at first. I wrote notes the entire time and doodled in a journal. And listened. I recorded the moments that resonated. It was not ideal to have to go somewhere and sit and listen to things that i didn’t agree with 100% but it was also not ideal to constantly put myself and others in danger, live a shadow version of life, and essentially exist in a cage of substances. I am speaking for myself.
Also. During detox the body experiences a chemical upheaval. There is a chemical pendulum swinging. It is plays tricks on the mind. Taking hot baths lowers cortisol, decreases anxiety, and brings circadian rhythms back into balance. Walking outside in early morning and Sunlight exposure aids in melatonin to assist sleeping. Stretch. Reach for toes. Stretching releases serotonin. I am getting really curious about my caffeine dependency and hoping to heed my own learned wisdom.
I have found that I could not think my way out my mind-body-emotion-spiritual sickness. Journaling, gratitudes, and meditation to heal the mind, movement, hiking, stretching, nutrition, for the body, human connection for emotions, service and contribution for the spirit. All aspects thirst for regulation and attention. We are multi-dimensional.
