Unveiling the True Self: A Journey to Authentic Freedom in Recovery

In the beginning of treatment, individuals often find themselves teetering between resistance and excitement, motivated or unmotivated, as they embark on the journey of recovery. This journey is not only a recovery of the true self but also a disentanglement from external influences that have seized control or from which one has lost the ability to manage effectively.

Initially, there is an adjustment period that can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks, sometimes stretching up to a month depending on the individual’s history and the duration of their treatment stay. During this time, emotions start to stabilize, leading to acceptance, reluctance, or perhaps a stabilization of sorts. What is fascinating is that as the initial excitement wanes, one can begin to see and observe the underlying authenticity of those raw emotions that contributed to the decision to seek treatment.

These emotions often remain suppressed in the early stages, only to resurface midway or three-quarters through the process. This challenge forces the individual to confront the true character traits that brought them to this point. Denial may persist—denial of the true nature of their struggles, which is partly what led them down this path. Yet, now they face an honest revelation of the battles they have been managing all along.

It is liberating to witness this transformation, for it is precisely what needs to be acknowledged and accepted, with no apologies necessary. One must embrace who they truly are, unrestrained and free from the fear of social rejection, expressing themselves fully without shame or guilt. Of course, all within the boundaries of societal norms and ethical considerations.

For the individual ensnared by social constraints, the call is to be free and unapologetically oneself, without reservation. It is a rebellion for the sake of true freedom. Only then can the raw brutality of one’s existence be confronted, and reconciled in this dynamic duo between what one ought to be versus what they no longer are.

(c)2024 John Piedrahita