[Guest blog by SMART Facilitator Rick Kuplinski]
Things happened relatively fast, at least as compared to how long it took me to get there, when my substance use disorder became too costly to ignore any longer. I sought treatment. Confronted my ambivalence (simultaneously loving & hating drinking). Found SMART Recovery. There I learned about VACIs.
In case you aren’t familiar with this unwieldy acronym, VACI stands for Vital Absorbing Creative Interests. The SMART Recovery Handbook describes these as passions, interests, hobbies, and activities that help bring the simple pleasure of living back into our lives. These can be things we used to enjoy doing before addiction got in the way, things we always wanted to do but didn’t because of addiction, or new things we discover on our recovery journey. VACIs can be an important source of benefits like social connection, personal growth, sense of purpose, adventure, or simply escape from routine and boredom.
Becoming an avid trail hiker was just one of the VACIs I pursued to help bring my life into better balance. I focus here on hiking because of the lessons it is teaching me about recovery—things I apply to managing my overall plan for life beyond addiction. Hopefully there is a VACI for you that teaches similar lessons.
Knowledge gets the feet moving
It didn’t take a lot of know-how to start hiking. Check the weather. Lace up shoes. Drive to the trailhead. Simple as that. But the more time I spent on the trail the more curious I became about what more there is to it. As a result, I’ve discovered myriad information that makes me a better hiker. These include how to choose the right equipment, proper use of trekking poles, and learning how my body reacts to, and recovers from, the stresses I place upon it. This idea of knowledge as a fuel for growth applies to my recovery as well. The more I learn about the nature of addiction, the better I understand the effects it had on me. The more I understand my patterns of unhelpful thinking, the better I get at disputing these thoughts and forming more effective beliefs. The more I practice applying SMART Recovery tools and strategies the more skilled I get at managing the day-to-day challenges of being in recovery while still living this big old drinking, drugging, and overdoing it world of ours. I invite you to think about your VACI and how being thirsty for knowledge helps you to do it better and enjoy it more. Then ask yourself: How can I transfer this understanding that more knowledge equals more power in my recovery?
Bad patches come; bad patches go
There are times out hiking when I am just not feeling it. Maybe it’s bad weather. Maybe it’s a long, steep climb. Or maybe just the sheer distance left to travel. In the face of these challenges, there is only one thing a hiker can do: suck it up and find the will to keep moving one foot in front of the other, knowing that it is the only thing that will deliver the reward of reaching one’s destination. That is what I am learning about recovery, too. There are days when negative thoughts begin piling up: Why me? This isn’t fair. Maybe I can return to my former ways . . . just for now (and so on). Reaching into my SMART Recovery toolkit helps me through these times. But just as helpful is accepting that running into bad patches now and then is part of the deal.
Today’s effort is an investment in future results
When I am out on the trail, I like to think of how what I am doing is making a deposit into an account that I can draw upon later. Going up a steep mountainside? Just think of how the effort is going to be repaid with “free speed” when I finally reach the downhill on the other side. Feeling challenged by a new and particularly “technical” trail? Just think of how much the experience gained today will help me the next time I pass this way. This applies to recovery, too. Every day I stay on my recovery plan and even when I lose my way there are valuable “takeaways” to be applied tomorrow. Things like navigating among triggers, coping with an urge, working to rebuild a relationship damaged in addiction, or thinking about what additional VACIs I’ll try to next to bring even more joy into this sober life.
Keep Your Heart Up
A normal piece of advice for nearly every sport or activity is “keep your head up.” Obviously, we need to constantly be aware of where we are going and what is in our line of vision. But a more helpful variation of this for me is keep your heart up. As applied to simple body mechanics, it just works better. That’s because when you rise up and stand tall from the middle of the chest, the whole body assumes a more upright and ready position. Also, it works better metaphysically. It is a reminder to me that I must always work on the posture of my attitude, especially in the rough patches of a hike. This has application to the days in recovery when we are challenged and maybe not feeling the motivation to take another step. Keep your heart up is a reminder to me to maintain a positive outlook, to remind myself of the “whys” for being on this journey, and to be open to experiencing all there is to see, hear, smell, feel, and learn along the way.
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SMART Recovery is a science- and evidence-informed program that provides educational and peer support to those who want to abstain and gain independence from all addictive behaviors, whether or not they involve alcohol or drugs. The program emphasizes building motivation and self-empowerment skills, employing strategies to control urges, managing thoughts at the root of addictive behaviors and living a healthy, balanced life. Go to the “Meetings” tab at www.smartrecovery.org to find an in-person or online meeting to attend.
