Why People Don't Recover (Part 2)

People don't recover also because they believe in "magic." Stuck, they expect that some magical solution is going to resolve their life's problems. Recovery is available to all. But it can't be entered into out of a false hope of instant gratification or quick fix.

As one wise man put it, "How do you swallow an elephant? One bite at a time."

Stephen Arterburn, a bestselling author and psychotherapist/counselor, identified several barriers to the personal recovery process. Here are some "crucial ones" he presented:

* Problem behavior attracts longed-for attention;
* Fear of launching out into the unknown;
* Someone is enabling the addiction;
* Fear of exposure (guilt is private, shame is public);
* Pride, arrogance;
* Despair or sense of hopelessness;
* Physiological or biochemical dependency;
* Fear of failure;
* Running from reality;
* False sense of happiness and power;
* Fear of insanity if separated from the "fix"

How many more sufferings and disasters must leave a path of destruction before choosing legitimate pain that produces healing, recovery, growth, and maturity?