Reflecting on People in Recovery from Addiction: Alexandre Laudet

I hold many people who have recovered, or are recovering, from addiction in the highest regard. The courage they have shown in turning around their lives is amazing. They have gone on to do wonderful things. They have helped other people on the path to recovery. And they have taught me so much about addiction and recovery. Some of these people are my best friends.

Whilst working my way through past blogs on this website—some needed cleaning out of the database because, for example, the film links have disappeared—I came across two blogs from Alexandre Laudet. Alexandre was Director of the Center for the Study of Addictions and Recovery at the National Development and Research Institutes, Inc at the time and had been conducting a good deal of research focused on addiction recovery. I was particularly taken by what Alexandre had to say about people in recovery in the second of her blogs, shown below:

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‘Courage and Recovery’ by Pat Deegan

“When I talk about my recovery, people sometimes tell me I must have a lot of courage. However, if I am honest, I would have to say I never felt particularly courageous during my recovery.

Mostly I felt determined, afraid and uncertain. I felt determined to get well, afraid I couldn’t do it and uncertain about how to get the life I wanted for myself.

I was not a courageous hero. I was scared and vulnerable, but I continued (on most days) to put one foot in front of the other on the long walk of my recovery…”