Boundaries and Balance - from the Health and Healing Series at SupportNet.ca - Resources for Your Recovery.

Recovery is learning to enjoy life - without the use of alcohol or drugs that alter mind or mood.

It is treatment for the condition of addiction - an approach to the challenges of life - and a path to personal growth.

Recovery requires us to learn - about the true nature of addiction.

It may be personalized - but it has its necessary Principles and its Ways.

The Principles of Recovery provide direction - to the choices that we face each day.

The Ways of Recovery provide us with tools - that help us to heal - and to enjoy life on life’s terms.

This Learning Seminar introduces the topics of Boundaries and Balance.

What you need to know about boundaries - and how to balance the needs of your health today.

Understanding Boundaries

Boundaries refer to the distinction - between what is me right now - and everything else that is not.

Healthy boundaries exist when I see the difference - between my needs and the needs of another - between what is mine to change about my self - and what is not mine to control in another person.

Tangled boundaries occur when I confuse the difference between my needs and the separate life of another person.

Tangled or confused boundaries create all sorts of stressful complications within families or between partners.

The huge challenge of boundaries is that they are only seen when they are healthy.

Tangled boundaries are invisible to the one who is confused.

And it is for this reason that boundary problems persist - creating stressful complications over years or decades of time.

Boundaries do not only apply to the distinction between people.

Boundaries in time indicate the difference between what is now - what is in the past - or within an imagined future.

Boundaries of health consider the needs of our person - in balance with the other interests of our life.

Our mind imagines all sorts of things that we believe are important to do today.

But the condition of our health means that there is some distinction - between what we want to do - and what is possible to do in healthy balance.

It is no different for one with a heart condition, with diabetes or in recovery from addiction.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances provide a quick fix to the way that we feel.

They allow us to work longer than is best for our health - to stay up later or to neglect the stressful issues of our life.

Substances manufacture feeling inside of us - and allow us to persist in a lifestyle that is out of balance with the needs of our health.

Recovery encourages respect for the condition of our health - and balance in the activities of our day.

And it is in doing so that recovery helps us to feel well in the day - and to relieve us of the need to fix our feelings with outside substances.

Finding Balance

A first step in finding balance to our day is to accept - the condition of our health - and the needs of our recovery today.

Without acceptance - we push our selves beyond the boundaries of our health - and are not willing to put recovery first in our day.

Acceptance allows us to conduct our selves with respect to the needs of our health.

Remember HALT - and don’t let your self get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired.

This traditional recovery phrase helps to relieve the frustrating symptoms of Post Acute Withdrawal - and to protect us from risk of self treatment.

Schedule time for your self - within the activities of your Personal Program of Recovery.

A morning routine - time for exercise, stretching or meditation - journal writing - are all ways that those in recovery attend to the needs of their health.

Consider the things that you do in a day - as part of your Personal Inventory.

Do I make time for my self in the day? Am I doing things for others - that they would be better to do for them selves? Do I know in my heart that I am pushing my self too hard or too fast? Am I neglecting things that I know I should do for my self? Do I still find my self thinking of alcohol or drugs - as a way to fix the way that I feel?

Learn the ways to say No - and to not take on too much for your day.

Help others to learn that they can do for their selves - and show by example - the benefits of caring for your person.

As we adopt healthy boundaries and balance to our day - it encourages those around us to do the same.  

Listen to the experience of others in recovery - and to the wisdom within your heart.

Stop making excuses to ignore their messages - and take time today to put your health and recovery first.

In Summary

Boundaries of health consider the needs of our person - in balance with the other interests of our life.

Recovery encourages respect for the condition of our health - and balance in the activities of our day.

It is in doing so that recovery helps us to feel well in the day - and to relieve us of the need to fix our feelings with other substances.

You have now reached the end of Boundaries and Balance.

Look for this and other Learning Seminars at www.SupportNet.ca - Resources for Your Recovery.