How can you tell if you have recovered?

How can you tell if you have recovered?

6/9/2007 2:00:00 AM kheyanne
138 Posts

Hi guys! I would just like to ask this. How can you tell if your or somebody you know had fully recovered from their addictions? Not all people opt to ask for professional help and a lot do it on their own. What would be the best indication that the addiction's totally gone and would not resurface anytime in the future?

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?

6/9/2007 3:53:29 PM littlecat123
39 Posts

I think you are always prone to relapse, no matter how long you have been in recovery. I think it's dangerous to assume that you have recovered enough to assume that it would never resurface.

I know of someone who had been sober for 25 years. His new wife convinced him that he could drink socially, just 1 or 2 when they were out with friends. Within a few months, he was back to daily drinking (and way too much) and had to rehab again.

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?

6/11/2007 2:02:59 PM randle
231 Posts

I think its when you don't have a desire to do it anymore. When you can be around it and not feel the temptation. Thats the huge test once you have overcome your addiction, you must put yourself in the mist of it to see if you are actually recovered.

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?

6/11/2007 8:23:49 PM simonsays
252 Posts

I am not sure that one fully can recover, simply because there is always a chance that something or someone can cause the addiction to reappear. I do agree that if you are not tempted by the thing that you were addicted to then you are as close as you will ever be to being fully recovered.

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?

6/12/2007 4:20:33 PM billo
1 Posts

I think you can "be in recovery", but are never truely "recovered". A person with an addiction will always have that addiction, but it can be in remission. So, in my opinion, no addiction is ever totally gone and one key to sucessful recovery is to always remember that.

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?

6/14/2007 1:14:58 PM monkey
83 Posts

I think you can tell that your out of an addiction by not doing your addiction anymore i mean like if you was addicted to cigarettes and you was trying to revover from it the way you can tell that your not in that addiction anymore is by you not taking anymore of those ciggarettes, correct me if im wrong.

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?

6/14/2007 3:26:48 PM ablenready
92 Posts

You are never recovered you are always recovering. Addictions don't go away ever. I still crave cigarettes and I haven't had one in 2 years. However I would walk though a second hand smoke cloud and get that sensation. Nicotene is a true thing to be addicted to. Not because it is bad, but because it makes you sick to try and stop. that is a real addiction. Not like some cheesy adiction to porn or some lame copout like that.

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?

6/17/2007 5:53:55 PM simonsays
252 Posts

You know that is is ok, you are no longer in an addiction but still are in recovery that is because there is always a possibility to fall back into dependency. If you are through the steps to recovery and are able to stay away from those things that caused the addiction then you are doing well and have nothing to worry about.

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?

7/9/2007 3:36:42 AM hazephase
317 Posts

Some times when you are out of a addictions then you still make have a problem , also you have to stay away for your friends

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?

7/14/2007 9:59:55 PM sacback1
192 Posts

Addictions are forever. They are lifelong. You may be in a very good place with years of recovery behind you but I still think you can relapse.

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?W

7/25/2007 10:48:29 AM vinzz
30 Posts

well. i'll say that it depends.

Addictions are of course lifetime.
But it depends on how u see them.
U can always hate ur addictions and not look back at them once u have recovered...
But there are cases when u can re-acquire your addictions....

So, it depends

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?

7/25/2007 5:53:32 PM sacback
5 Posts

You can't say that, I have seen many people recover fully from an addiction that they have had. IT is possible, never say never, Most people that go in with that type of attitude will always relapse, ALWAYS.

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?y

7/26/2007 9:30:29 AM vinzz
30 Posts

Yeah probably u got one part.

i said..it depends.. u can get over ur addictions... and u can even relapse.

depending on ur attitude.

peace.

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?y

8/9/2007 4:53:10 AM janette
15 Posts

I think we can recover fully from addiction but the time take to recover differ according to type of addiction, stage of addiction, and on the person's health. All these factors decide the time taken to recover.

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?y

8/31/2007 11:01:59 AM deezrims20s
2 Posts

I just recently got out of rehab, and although I feel a sense of accomplishment at completing that program, I know I have a long way to go. I think there will always be a fear of falling back into my addiction. A person's actions and attitudes can show a lot about where they are and if they are at risk of relapse. If they are consistently involved with their new life and aren't showing signs of how they were when they were addicted (hanging out with old friends who are still addicted, displaying shady behavior that might indicate they are relapsing, etc.) then there a good chance they are still on the right path.

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?

10/14/2007 4:08:08 AM websurfpro
164 Posts

you'll be completelly recovered as soon as you won't feel the need for alcohol nicotine drugs or whatever. i don't agree with Billo a person can allways recover completely he just has to have the will and power to do so.

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?

10/15/2007 12:17:11 PM alessandra
263 Posts

If you think of addiction as a disease, then yes you can be recovered from certain stages, but the last stage I guess would be possibly relapsing and that part never goes away. And it does depend on your attitude. If you say, Oh I'm going to quit for the next 25 years, well once you're at 26 years, your whole attitude could change. People beat breast cancer everyday, but there's always a chance you could develop it again. Us addicts don't have any control over our brain chemistry so that's why we get random cravings n such.

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?

10/26/2007 8:50:38 PM nomoretemptation
6 Posts

You're not one thing or the other. You are what your actions are proving you to be at that point in time.

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?

10/29/2007 2:13:56 PM cymru_am_byth
20 Posts

I think it is a difficult thing to evaluate with everyone been individual and having different needs. Personally I dont think we ever recover to our original state

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?

11/9/2007 8:29:06 PM funtoosh
15 Posts

I don't think there is any way a doctor can tell you
Its you that have to analyze your desire and take your control in your hand
The day you can control the desire of your addiction
You have started recovery.

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?

11/23/2007 3:37:13 PM mhowell
5 Posts

I agree with Billo. You can never tell if your trully recovered. But I think if you can see the substance infront of you and not be tempted then maybe thats when you can tell your truly recovered.

Re: How can you tell if you have recovered?

11/27/2007 1:44:39 PM clone
65 Posts

It is almost impossible to say if you are recovered or not, when you are not living for that thing, and when you feel that you have won the war against your addiction, you feel good, that's a great thing!

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