Air travel occupies a unique spot in our collective imagination. The idea of flying through the air is, frankly, astonishing—even all these years since the first flight. So it only makes sense that we assign a variety of meanings and ideas to flight. Here are just a few examples:
We think of flying as romantic (here’s Frank Sinatra on the subject); as a symbol of heartache (here’s Peter, Paul, and Mary on the subject); as a marker of freedom mixed with a longing for home (here’s the Steve Miller Band on the subject); or as the very definition of adventure (here’s Kenny Loggins on the subject).
In this blog post, we would like to add an additional way to think about air travel: as a metaphor for treatment for and recovery from a substance use disorder. We admit we do not know of a song that details this particular idea (though we are sure Sinatra would have sung the heck out of it). But we do have some specific ideas of how air travel and recovery are aligned.
Consider this blog your ticket to the journey. Let’s get underway, shall we?
Check Your Bags: Detoxification
All too often, our travels involve packing a heavy and unwieldy bag—a suitcase we could not possibly take onto the airplane with us. Fortunately, airlines offer the opportunity to check your bag. You turn it over to the airline, and they take care of it from there, so you are not burdened with it as your trip gets underway.
Think of checking your bag as going through the process of detoxification at the start of treatment for a substance use disorder. Medically supervised detox allows you to give up drugs or alcohol safely and in an environment that is free of temptations. Detoxification—like checking your heavy bag at the airport—is what lets your journey truly get underway.
Go Through Security: Rehabilitation
In order to keep everyone safe, each person who is taking a flight must pass through security. The security folks check your ID, examine your carry-on items, and scan your body. During that process, you might be asked to take your electronics out of your bag or leave behind a bottle with too much liquid or what have you. It might seem like a hassle, but the fact is that going through security ensures that you are prepared for what comes next and can proceed with confidence.
Think of going through the security line as going through the rehabilitation process during treatment for a substance use disorder. As you participate in group and individual therapy sessions, you may well discover you are holding on to some habits, ideas, or mental health issues (or a combination of those things) that will not be useful to you in recovery. Taking care of those things while you are still in treatment means that you can start your recovery journey with confidence.
Listen to the Flight Crew: Your Recovery Community
On an airplane, the flight crew is made up of people who are trained to know what to do in a whole host of situations that might arise. They are the experts who know how to fly the plane (pretty important!) and who know the safety protocols. They are the people who work to make your flight comfortable and enjoyable, too.
When you are in recovery, your community serves as your flight crew. Your fellow attendees at recovery meetings, your sponsor or recovery mentor, your closest friends, and your supportive family members are the people who can see you through anything that arises on your recovery journey. Your recovery community should be made up of individuals who are as committed to your well-being as the members of a flight crew are to the well-being of a plane’s passengers.
Head to Baggage Claim: Hoping Your ‘Luggage’ Is Lost
We have arrived—metaphorically and actually—at the end of this journey. Normally, this is the point at which an air traveler would head over to baggage claim to grab that oh-so-heavy bag they checked at the beginning of their trip.
You probably remember, however, that we said that a heavy suitcase is a stand-in for your struggles with drugs or alcohol. Obviously, then, it is not to your advantage to pick it up again. We are trying to avoid relapses, after all.
That means this is the one situation when it would actually be great if your luggage were lost. Leaving drugs and alcohol behind is your long-term goal, so you do not need anything that was in that symbolic suitcase moving forward.
Make Your Way to French Creek Recovery Center
Located in Meadville, Pennsylvania, French Creek Recovery Center is a perfect destination if you need help overcoming a substance use disorder and any mental health disorders that may be entangled with it. We provide medically supervised detoxification, a robust rehabilitation program, and a continuum of care that ensures you have access to ongoing support and resources.
Getting your recovery journey underway is the very best thing you can do for yourself—and for those around you. At French Creek Recovery Center, we are always here to help you take back control of your life.