The Grief of Getting Clean

The grief of getting clean

In the dictionary, the word bereavement is defined as, ‘a period of mourning after a loss, especially after the death of a loved one’.

Mourning the loss of a loved one is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the word bereavement but what about the other losses we experience in life?

What about the loss of identity, lifestyle and coping mechanisms (albeit unhealthy ones) of an addict going into recovery?

What’s rarely talked about, or acknowledged, are the very real stages of grieving which an addict experiences when letting go of their old lifestyle and embracing a new one in recovery.

There are so many things an addict must relinquish when embarking on a healthier way of living. Often, it’s suggested that someone newly in recovery should change the people, places and things they surrounded themselves with during active addiction.