Have you ever noticed that many people make sweeping statements about their own abilities?
Oh, I just don’t have any musical talent.
You know, I’m just terrible at math.
Everything I try to cook turns out to be awful.
Maybe you have said similar things about yourself. These sorts of statements reveal that the person who says them is operating with what is called a “fixed mindset.” It is a common—but generally not terribly helpful—way of looking at the world and ourselves.
The alternative to a fixed mindset is a “growth mindset.” Developing a growth mindset is a positive move in many areas of life—and it can be particularly helpful for a person in recovery from a substance use disorder.
Let’s compare and contrast fixed and growth mindsets to see why emphasizing growth is the best way to support your hard-won sobriety over time.
A Fixed Mindset Can Upset Your Recovery Efforts
When a person has a fixed mindset, they have a hard time imagining the possibility of significant change. They may believe that our personalities, talents, behaviors, and other characteristics are unchangeable. The thinking goes that you are who and what you are no matter what.
So, to use the examples from above, a person with a fixed mindset doesn’t recognize that they could develop musical, math, or cooking skills by putting in some work. A lack of talent or skill seems like a permanent quality that cannot be adjusted or improved.
If that person applies that fixed mindset to their sobriety, they may well conclude that they cannot succeed in recovery. They might lean into the idea that an addict is always an addict.
Now, in one sense, that is true. A substance use disorder is treatable but not curable, so in that sense, a person who develops a disorder centered on drugs or alcohol will always be dealing with that disorder to one degree or another.
But a fixed mindset that suggests a person can never change undermines the idea that long-term sobriety is possible. If you don’t believe you can stay sober, you probably won’t stay sober.
Fortunately, there is an alternative to a fixed mindset—and it is built around the idea that changes for the better are always possible.
A Growth Mindset Can Set You Up for Recovery Success
When you have a growth mindset, you are focused on the idea that change and improvement are, in fact, possible. So, while you might not be on a path to becoming Wynton Marsalis, Terence Tao, or Brooke Williamson, you can learn to play an instrument, understand geometry, or make a delicious dinner. It will take some work, sure, but you can do it if you adopt a growth mindset.
A growth mindset allows you to believe in—and work toward—a sober future for yourself. The idea that change is possible is an essential component of all efforts to improve your life. Developing a growth mindset means not accepting the idea that once you are an addict you will inevitably be using drugs or alcohol.
But if you have had a fixed mindset for a long time, it might seem difficult to develop a growth mindset. After all, by definition, a person with a fixed mindset doesn’t really believe in that kind of change.
But change is all around us all of the time. Remembering that can be the key that unlocks the change from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.
Everything is Always Changing—And You Can, Too
Change is (ironically enough) a constant in our lives. Nothing stays exactly the same for very long.
In some sense, developing a fixed mindset might be a kind of defensive mechanism. If you don’t change, you have a firm foundation for understanding yourself as the world changes around you. That might sound good in theory, but it seldom works out that way.
Folks with a fixed mindset often struggle to deal with all of the changes that are part of day-to-day life. They have trouble adjusting to a new boss. They have trouble dealing with getting older. They have trouble with changes in society.
A growth mindset, on the other hand, embraces (or at least accepts) the inevitability of change and uses it as an opportunity for personal growth. Does the new boss have new demands? I can learn to meet them. Is aging leading to less energy? I can improve my eating, sleeping, and exercise habits. People in a younger generation have a different attitude toward—well, everything? I can learn from them.
And the most important: Used to use drugs or alcohol? I can work toward lasting sobriety.
We Believe You Can Change Your Life for the Better
At French Creek Recovery Center—located in Meadville, Pennsylvania—we know that change is possible for those who struggle with drugs or alcohol. We are dedicated to helping you make that change via a personalized treatment plan that takes your specific needs into account.
We offer medically supervised detoxification, a rehabilitation program centered on group and individual therapy, and a continuum of care designed to help you start your recovery journey with confidence. When you’re ready to make a change, we’re ready to get to work.