According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in 2007, 20.8 million persons (8.4 percent of the population aged 12 or older) needed treatment for a substance problem, but did not receive it. As addicts try to stop their addictive behaviors, they may cut ties with their friends, avoid certain establishments, and purge themselves of their addictive substances or actions. But, more often than not, their actions do not last and the addict falls back into the cycle of addiction. Willpower needs to be coupled with additional resources in order to lead to lasting change.
Willpower is defined as control of one’s impulses and actions. In the context of addiction recovery, willpower is the choices and the efforts the addict makes to break addictive habits. Examples of exercising willpower to get on the road of addiction recovery could be avoiding certain people or places that encourage deviant behavior, discarding any substances or items that promote further addiction, and getting outside support for addiction recovery. Willpower is an essential step to get you started in the addiction recovery process, but it is not enough, on its own, for lasting change.
When my friend was little, she fell off the high beam at gymnastics and broke her arm. She was unable to go to class, let alone tumble or do anything active for several months. As much as she wanted to be well and healed, she could not make that happen on her own. She had to rely on doctors to prescribe proper methods for healing, a cast to set the boundaries, and time to allow her bones to transition back into place. Her willpower was not enough to heal her.
This example may seem quite obvious and somewhat silly in the context of a broken arm, but the same principle applies in the context of addiction recovery–outside help is needed. There will be times when more is needed than just our willpower. Sometimes, healing and recovery is out of our control and we need help. Sometimes we need to rely on qualified doctors or therapists to help us find balance and proper health. Sometimes we need a cast–or set rules/boundaries–to keep us out of harm’s way. Sometimes we need to rely on a support system of family and friends so we are not alone in recovery and can fall back on and be accountable to them. When these tools are used in unison with your willpower, lasting addiction recovery can occur.
All recovery programs that I know of call on the addict to recognize his/her powerlessness and to ask for help. Ironically enough, by surrendering his/her will and recognizing that he/she does not have all the answers, addicts find the will to recover. Asking for help is key. Let me highlight two resources that can bolster your willpower:
- Family and close friends. They love you and want what is best for you. Not only that, but your family and closest friends are the people who see you most, who are in regular contact with you, and can help you during moments of weakness. They can provide accountability and are readily available to help during those especially tough days.
- A licensed, qualified therapist. When my friend broke her arm, she received help from a professional who was experienced, knowledgeable, and had tools to properly diagnose her injury and give her a personalized plan for recovery. A therapist is your emotional doctor; I have spent years working with those struggling with addiction. I can help you.
By letting family and close friends, and a therapist help you in your journey, you will find strength in numbers, which will aid you greatly as you continue to seek recovery.
Many of my clients battle with some form of addiction. Whether they are addicted to drugs, food, substances, pornography, sex, or something else, I greatly admire them for seeking help. Their desire to change is the essential pre-step to addiction recovery. The desire to improve, to make lasting changes, and to leave behind destructive habits and behaviors must come from the addict him/herself in order for it to be lasting. Your willpower will carry you through those moments of weakness, push you attend counseling sessions, and keep you away from people or places that could threaten your progress. Willpower is just that–POWER. Make that step today and channel your willpower to help you overcome addiction.
Now is the time to channel your willpower and use the resources around you–namely your support system of family and close friends, as well as the help of an experienced counselor. Contact me today or set up your first session to get yourself onto the path of addiction recovery that will help you make lasting changes.
Melissa Cluff is a licensed marriage and family therapist based in Lewisville, Texas, personally seeing clients in the North Dallas area.
Resources:
- Addiction.com: “Overcoming Addiction: Is Willpower Enough?”
- Bulletin of the World Health Organization: “The treatment gap in mental health care”
- Cluff Counseling: “Choosing the Right Therapist for You”
- David Susman: “8 Reasons Why People Don’t Get Treatment for Mental Health Illness”
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: “Drug and Alcohol Addictions Often Go Untreated”
- Psychology Today: “Does Willpower Play a Role in Addiction Recovery?”
- Washton & Boundy: Willpower’s Not Enough
