When a young man gives up drugs and alcohol, hopefully for good, there is no limit on what he can achieve. Anyone still in the grips of addiction may find that statement hard to believe. Maybe such readers are asking themselves, “What’s the catch?” There isn’t one! All that recovery asks of people is willingness and honesty. A willingness to be open-minded and honest, even when every cell in the body urges one to do the opposite.
Learning to live life on life’s terms, choosing to no longer be driven by fear, is a recipe for opening doors. The tendency to self-sabotage and adhere to a self-defeating mentality disappears when one surrenders. When a man accepts that he has an incurable affliction and is willing to do whatever it takes to manage his symptoms of mental illness, he discovers a life once thought impossible.
When young men find the courage to reinvent their lives, it is a gift. Moreover, recovery is the ultimate gift that keeps on giving. Working a program grants people the honor of helping others find the strength to make similar changes. There are few feelings as potent as what one experiences when he witnesses recovery transform the life of another. Knowing that your selfless acts of kindness, understanding, and gentle guidance played a critical role in saving a life is remarkable.
People In Recovery Inspire
People who embrace long-term sobriety become inspirations to those who are still “out there” and newcomers alike. Since most in recovery do so with the benefit of anonymity, it can be challenging to find inspiring people outside “the rooms” to look to for motivation. Fortunately, more and more people are turning their back on the societal stigma of addiction. That ever-pressing urge to keep both the addiction and recovery a closely guarded secret loses its appeal with each passing year.
In the twenty-first century, many celebrities and icons are opening up about their struggles and recoveries. Several athletes, musicians, and movie stars are sharing their experiences, strength, and hope with the world. In doing so, members of the general public are finding the will to reach out for assistance and they are healing. While each person in recovery has the right to share their story with whomever they choose – or not – no rule says sobriety shouldn’t be talked about openly.
The 91st Academy Awards have passed, but before they aired, one nominee shared that he owes his life and success to sobriety. Some readers may have had an opportunity to watch A Star Is Born: a film that has been remade three times now. The most recent iteration stars Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. Cooper directed the film and played the addicted rock star named Jackson Maine. It turns out it was a role Cooper was uniquely equipped for, owing to his history with substance abuse, mental health, and fifteen years of sobriety.
The stories that exist in this story, it comes from a very deep personal place and that’s the only way that I know how to communicate with many people,” Cooper tells The New York Times.
A Recovery Is Born
In 2012, Mr. Cooper spoke with The Hollywood Reporter (THR) about the roots of his mental health and addiction struggles. His story is likely to resonate with many young men, both in active addiction or recovery.
Bradley started drinking at a young age and began having suicidal ideations at the turn of the century. An injury led him to an opioid use disorder. He acknowledges that his path to addiction was a consequence of deep-seated insecurities: a sentiment familiar to many in recovery.
I was so concerned what you thought of me, how I was coming across, how I would survive the day,” he told THR. “I always felt like an outsider. I just lived in my head. I realized I wasn’t going to live up to my potential, and that scared the hell out of me. I thought, ‘Wow, I’m actually gonna ruin my life; I’m really gonna ruin it.'”
Once Bradley decided to make changes, his life started to improve — as did his mental health. He came to see that he didn’t need drugs and alcohol to cope with his insecurities. In 2015, with eleven years sober, he shared with Barbara Walters that he owes his whole life to sobriety:
“I would never be sitting here with you, no way, no chance [if I hadn’t gotten sober,]” he said. “I wouldn’t have been able to have access to myself or other people, or even been able to take in other people, if I hadn’t changed my life. I never would have been able to have the relationships that I do. I never would have been able to take care of my father the way I did when he was sick. So many things.”
PACE Recovery Center Young Adult Rehab
Our clinical team specializes in working with young adult males battling chemical dependency and behavioral health issues. Since more than half of individuals living with addiction also struggle with co-occurring mental illness, it is critical to seek help from a center that can treat the entire patient. PACE Recovery Center provides young men with a structured program: one that teaches clients how to live balanced lives free from drugs and alcohol. We invite you to contact us for yourself or a loved one to discuss treatment options.
“We believe that incorporating sound clinical interventions and a lifestyle that encourages health and wellness, in a shame-free setting that encourages accountability and responsibility, will help foster long term recovery.”
