Remember lighthearted pleasure? As I work in this field, it’s easy to lose sight of having fun. Many clients started out trying to do just that. When they first experimented with getting high, drinking alcohol or using recreational drugs, it was more than likely fun. It was probably like that first time you spun yourself around and around until you got so dizzy you feel down.
Teaching clients how to have fun again is part of the ARMOR Program’s protocol. It starts out slowly, a fieldtrip or two. Visiting the quarry for a swim, on a hot summer’s day, or maybe a trip to the butterfly place. Visiting New York City or just taking the train into Boston for a meal are ways of enjoying lighthearted pleasure.
If you’re working in early remission, remember to make it fun, when you’re able. A favored saying during my early recovery process was not to take myself so serious. We get clean to enjoy life.