I Can’t Even

“I can’t even” is in your mind

“I can’t even”. It’s a popular term in the internet world. As a culture we have decided to attach ourselves to a certain exhaustion. Much of the world today is exhausting. Conflict reigns everywhere. Yet somehow, we persist in our beliefs that we simply cannot. We can’t deal, we can’t cope, we can’t even pretend to muster the enthusiasm to pretend that we might have the motivation to make it seem like we can. Though it is probably we could, we just aren’t going to. Whatever it is we aren’t doing, we aren’t doing it because we really believe we couldn’t, even if we tried.

For recovery from drug and alcohol addiction this is an essentially interesting mindset during treatment. Considering the extreme that comes with, quite actually, one who cannot stop drinking or using drugs, it is interesting when they cannot participate in treatment. Learning to deal with reality, or “life on life’s terms” as it is called in recovery, is critical. Coping skills, emotional regulation skills, and mindfulness skills are necessary to be able to let go of the need to control life. When we “can’t” we’re really trying to control. Going into a default mode of resistance or exhaustion is in itself a coping mechanism, a way to try and avoid life. We may not always have to, but there will be times when we need to. It is important to our recovery to try and be as present as possible in our lives. Being is much different from doing. Can or cannot is a matter of doing. Being able to do or do not is a different situation entirely.

Recent research has discovered that the brain decides it is tired long before the body itself is tired. Alcoholism is a disease of the body, mind, and spirit. Though the spirit is torn and the brain is off track, the body persists in pursuing more and more alcohol. Most fatigue is a perception. Alcoholism skews that perception. According to the research, there’s no reason physically that we can’t. However, the mental exhaustion is what makes us feel that way. When we are new to sober life, we are really new to life sober. Trying to keep up with the constant influx of emotions and stimuli can be exhausting, leading us to feel like we can’t even.

You can. You will. Getting yourself into treatment to start the journey of recovery means you already are. Sobriety is one giant can. By staying sober everyday you are doing and being the sober miracle of recovery.

Enlightened Solutions is committed to helping you learn how to live a fully fulfilled life again. We offer multiple levels of care in a compassionate and comfortable environment. Fusing evidence based treatment with holistic healthcare and 12 step philosophy, Enlightened focuses on curing body mind and soul. Please call 833-801-5483 for more information.