ROANOKE, VA – As we move from the festivities of Christmas to the promises of a new year, the challenge of staying sober can feel overwhelming.
“Our societal norms say when we celebrate, we drink or we party in some way,” Co-Founder of Four Truths Recovery in Roanoke Christine Wright said.
Wright knows the challenge of recovery all too well.
“I’ve been on this journey of learning, recovery, healing for eight years and every holiday looks a little different. Some of them are really exciting, some of them are really stressful,” Wright said.
Wright tells 10 News in the week between Christmas and New Year’s, there are a lot of societal pressures.
“It can pose a really big threat to someone’s recovery with the guilt and shame or lack of connection someone may have,” Wright said.
But choosing the path to recovery can bring up negative feelings
“Guilt over our actions, guilt over broken relationships, ways that we’ve hurt our loved ones,” Wright said.
Recovery looks different for everyone, which is why Wright tells us being honest with yourself and your loved ones is crucial.
“Having their support system on standby if something comes up and they get uncomfortable, but also just advocating for themselves,” Wright said.
It also means realizing that our loved ones may not be facing the same challenges.
“We may have been through some sort of treatment or have some sort of recovery plan that we follow, we can’t then necessarily expect behavior or actions or thoughts of other people to change,” Wright said.
And while it can be a challenge, Wright says working through recovery is worth celebrating.
“When you’re in active addiction, one of the worst parts is you are a slave to that substance. and you’re not in control of deciding these things. There’s a freedom in recovery, now I’m in control. I broke free from that ball and chain,” Wright said.
Wright has made it her life’s work to help people on their path to recovery.
Four Truths opened a recovery house back in May, where people on that path live together and support each other.
Wright us that sometimes people don’t have the support of their loved ones, so these people they’re walking alongside really become their family. It allows them to have someone who understands and can hold them accountable.
