Resiliency is the ability to overcome and survive in the presence of adversity and a trait that humans develop throughout their lifetimes. It’s a characteristic that helps ensure survival and longevity, but it’s not infallible. Resilience can be broken down and degraded over time, especially when a person experiences repeated trauma and abuse. Still, it’s a trait ingrained in human nature, making resiliency a critical factor for patients to rebuild while in addiction recovery.
Humans have an emotional mechanism that provides feedback to the rest of the body, including major organs like the brain. Throughout childhood development, resilience is built upon every experience that pushes the body to overcome obstacles and difficult emotions. This is the body’s way of protecting itself, and every instance of perseverance provides a psychological response that grows self-resiliency even stronger.
Genetics, coping mechanisms, personality types, and social environment are just a few factors that shape a person’s level of resiliency. Those with weakened resiliency will often have a harder time dealing with life’s struggles and recuperating from hardship, sometimes leaving them to seek out unhealthy coping mechanisms like substance misuse. Having a supportive network of loved ones is also an essential aspect of responding to hardship. Without external encouragement, the brain can take on more psychological damage, reducing resiliency.
A person who seeks out substances to escape their thoughts and feelings begins to degrade their instinct to recognize threats, analyze and process potentially harmful situations, and the ability to make beneficial decisions. Numbing the body’s natural instinct to deal with adversity and challenging experiences with drugs directly weakens the brain’s feedback mechanism that sends messages to the rest of the body. This is why many who struggle with addiction find themselves in dangerous circumstances. Their troubles seem to compound constantly, due to their brain’s inability to prioritize important survival skills safeguarded by natural resiliency. The weakened state of resiliency leads many down a spiral of consistent misuse until the addiction is undeniable and the thought of ceasing use seems impossible.
Those battling addiction often make several attempts before fully committing to treatment due to an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and lack of natural resiliency and belief that they can overcome their triggers. Though it takes time to rebuild this necessary human trait, it’s absolutely possible due to the brain’s neuroplasticity, meaning it can be guided and reshaped back into full function with hard work and therapy.
Middlesex Recovery offers comprehensive addiction treatment plans to help patients heal their bodies and minds. With the help of individual and group substance use counseling, FDA-approved medication, and many other resources, Middlesex Recovery offers nearly everything patients may need to get their recovery journey started. Specialized medical providers, nursing staff, counselors, and intake coordinators make the treatment process comfortable and convenient with office-based, outpatient locations. For more information, message or call us today.
