Are you a sports fan? Research suggests that as many as 7 out of 10 people in the United States are fans of at least one sport. And truthfully, it is probably pretty hard for the other 3 out of 10 folks to avoid at least some exposure to athletic competition—even if they don’t care for it very much.
Because sports tend to be an important part of people’s lives, we have from time to time turned to the world of athletics and athletes to explore various topics related to sobriety. You might think of this blog entry as a recovery-themed edition of your favorite highlights show.
Let’s start in the world of boxing with some advice from “The Greatest.”
Ali’s Ideas Connect to Recovery
In an entry titled “Muhammad Ali’s Six Core Principles & Recovery,” we explored the principals that the great boxer lived by and hoped to instill in others. Those core principles include:
- Confidence
- Conviction
- Dedication
- Giving
- Respect
- Spirituality
We connected each of Ali’s principles to the recovery journey. For example, of the first concept we wrote:
Confidence: Belief in oneself, one’s abilities, and one’s future. When you are starting your recovery journey, it can be hard to feel confident. After all, a substance use disorder can’t be cured, and it may seem inevitable that you will relapse and find yourself struggling in all the ways you were before you got sober. Ali would encourage you to have more faith in yourself and your ability to maintain your sobriety.
Lessons from the Soccer Pitch and Baseball Diamond
In previous posts, we have turned to soccer and to baseball to support some suggestions related to recovery.
For example, in the entry titled “Recovery Pointers from the Soccer Pitch,” we noted that you a lot of folks are rooting for you to succeed in recovery:
Soccer fans are some of the most enthusiastic sports lovers in the world. They are fiercely loyal to their clubs and they pass their fandom down from one generation to the next. It is unconditional love. Win or lose, these fans will still root for their club with vigor.
While your recovery journey probably will not attract a stadium’s worth of chanting and cheering fans (it would be a little weird if it did, right?), there is an important lesson here. There are plenty of people in your life—they might include members of your family, your closest friends, members of your faith community, and more—who are truly pulling for you to maintain your sobriety. These are the people you can count on to stand by you no matter what, and they form a “fandom” that supports your ongoing efforts to stay sober.
Meanwhile, in the entry titled “Here’s the (Sobriety) Pitch. Don’t Strike Out.,” we shared three tips drawn from baseball, including one that is all about the fundamentals:
It is hard to think of more fundamental baseball advice than “keep your eye on the ball.” When a batter steps up to the plate, they know they have to do their best to see the ball as it comes out of the pitcher’s hand. Pitchers do all sorts of things to make that difficult, so the batter has to really lock in. The batter has so little time to decide whether (and where and when) to swing, that keeping their eye on the ball as it hurtles toward them is absolutely essential.
The same is true when it comes to staying sober. Cravings, difficult emotions, high levels of stress, and so much more can seem to be hurtling your way like a 100 mph fastball. Keeping your eye on what matters—your sobriety—can help you make good decisions (head to meeting, call a friend, get some sleep, and more) that firm up the foundations of your recovery.
Remember: Sobriety is Not a Competition
We are all for drawing positive lessons from the wide world of sports. But we also want to be clear that staying sober is decidedly not a competition. We tackled this subject in an entry titled “Sobriety is not a Competitive Sport.” We wrote, in part:
[N]either the feeling that you are somehow “winning” nor the sense that you are instead “losing” a sobriety competition is actually helpful to you as your recovery journey unfolds…
Better, then, to not let notions of competition define your recovery. You have probably noticed that in this blog entry (and many others as well) have referred to your “recovery journey.” We would never refer to a “recovery race” or a “recovery contest.” Recovery is a journey, full of experiences—including challenges and opportunities—but devoid of a scoreboard.
We Are Ready for You Right Now
At French Creek Recovery Center—located in Meadville, Pennsylvania—we understand that struggling with drugs or alcohol can be like a sporting event. Specifically, a substance use disorder puts you in a race against time. That is because ongoing substance use continually chips away at your mental and physical health (and much more besides). Your best decision is to get the help you need sooner rather than later. Our top-notch, highly trained, empathetic staff is ready to help you reclaim your life today.