The red, white, and blue spirit of July 4th comes with themes of freedom and independence. Freedom covers many areas in our lives, including our mental health and well-being.
Untreated mental health concerns keep a person from living a full life. They serve as a barrier to living an authentic life, true to oneself.
But there is hope!
The journey of recovery starts with a single step. Untreated mental health issues can serve as chains. Depression can keep a person from getting out of bed and anxiety keeps serves as a barrier to experiencing peace. Addiction binds a person to
their substance, whether that is food, sex, alcohol, drugs, or anything else.
But one step toward recovery is one step toward freedom! Experiencing recovery from mental illness of any kind enables a person to experience a new kind of freedom: freedom to be oneself.
Recovery empowers a person to be true to the authentic self. Freedom in recovery looks like learning about who you are as a new person. Freedom offers the chance to discover this new person and feel comfortable in the skin of liberation. It may take time, but is worth the opportunity to grow in the light of recovery.
Claiming freedom in recovery takes many steps and each person experiences their own path. How do you claim your freedom?
Written by Angela Harris, Digital Marketer with Sage Recovery & Wellness Center