Is pain a necessary process of recovery?
We all have built in defense systems designed to prioritize what suffering is in others and how much to help. The point of this blog is to draw awareness to this built in system, which in many individuals has become out of control, driving us to rationalize the suffering of others.
The “Just World” Concept
There is concept in the field of psychology known as the “just world” concept. This concept is nothing new; it has been around for quite some time. The concept is based on the belief that people who suffer do so based on poor decision making. To a certain extent there is some truth to this aspect, but this is not related to the motives the individuals holding these beliefs are driven by. I have found in my experiences that descriptions of people who justify suffering using their own hard fought experiences of suffering disturbing, but not entirely inaccurate.
Can You Can Pick your Bottom ?
It is perplexing how individuals who claim to be sympathetic to the plight of individuals caught in the throes of addiction truly believe that addicts need to suffer in order to be successful in recovery. The pundits of this philosophy are the relics of a time gone by from a certain self help group. I was at a 12-Step meeting just the other day and a fellow launched a salvo at a fairly youthful companion; His tone and content most disconcerting. He stated that because my friend had not done enough suffering he is unlikely to be successful at recovery. The unfortunate fact about this statement is that a lot of people buy into this concept that are either suffering from addiction themselves, or part of the support system of an addicted man.
There is no point letting someone’s life be further ruined in order for them to “get the addiction out of their system.” Men who are our brothers, fathers, sons, and husbands have lives that are worth fighting for. Call our treatment facility at 877-937-7152 to begin the healing process.
