Mar 25, 2016 | By Tim Powers

Cultivating Life Purpose in Therapy

Addiction Treatment Drug and Alcohol Intervention Inpatient Addiction Treatment

Are you a person that has just made the commitment to undergo drug treatment to address those underlying issues that have you stuck in the proverbial spin cycle of addiction?

Making the decision to undergo drug treatment at a reputable rehab facility is a major life decision that opens the door for you to completely transform your life. The comprehensive, intensive and compassionate care that addicts receive from a reputable drug rehab center can give you the tools, support and encouragement you need to overcome their addiction and embrace recovery with confidence.

From medical detoxification and individual and group therapy to life skills and relapse prevention education, the tools that a drug rehab program gives you can fill your armory. Despite all the tools that are available to empower you, you may feel the case of the mehs in the early recovery process. You may be totally “getting it”, but you feel stuck and are maybe going through the motions in your daily work.

Perhaps one of the biggest obstacles for all addicts in early recovery is finding purpose and meaning in their life. With so much time and energy focused on trying to address the roots of one’s addiction, taking the time to find purpose and motivation to get the engines humming to what often gets lost in the shuffle. Cultivating life purpose in therapy is perhaps the most essential ingredient in propelling you to recovery success.

How Do You Define Life Purpose?

There are concepts that can’t be easily encapsulated in a cliff notes type of fashion–and life purpose is one of those concepts. While the simplest definition of the concept is having a sense of meaning and purpose in life, it really doesn’t get to the nitty gritty of what having purpose truly means. Trying to give a definitive answer to what life purpose is can be like Batman battling the Riddler in the fact that in order to answer the main question, you have to answer a series of other questions.

Among these questions can be the following:

• What does it really mean to have meaning and purpose n life?
• How do you determine what “that” is?
• Do you get to the bottom of what is means to define your own sense of purpose in life?
• Can you combine what you think is your own purpose with the purpose that someone else might have for you?

Are you scratching your head yet?

No worries…these among other questions are difficult to answer and require more than cursory thought. The spark that can initiate that deeper though is actually pretty simple:

Life purpose is finding within yourself what makes you truly passionate.

When you cultivate a solid sense of life purpose in your recovery, you feel sure of yourself and what your capabilities are. With a gr eat sense of life purpose in your recovery your compass is set in the right direction for your life. You certainly won’t knowwhat tomorrow may bring, but you will possess a wider world view and you know the difference between what you can and can’t control…Serenity Prayer anyone?

Finding Your Life Purpose in Therapy

It goes without saying that all the effective drug treatment programs and services in the world won’t amount to much without having the deep motivation and purpose to drive you. In those situations where people seem to be stuck, there are drug rehabs which offer a unique form of therapy called life purpose therapy. With this form of therapy, experienced therapists help those new in recovery find a clear sense of purpose and direction in life.

When challenges and difficulties arise in the recovery process, they can be made manageable and can be seen as an opportunity to grow through the work of life purpose therapy. When there is lack of solid life purpose, even small challenges can grow and feel overwhelming, confusing, and painful. Therefore, life purpose therapy can help addicts reconnect with those lasting values, beliefs, needs and goals they held dear in their life, and a sense of meaning and purpose can be built from there.

How Life Purpose Therapy Sessions Work In Drug Treatment

Life purpose therapy can utilize numerous components. For example, therapists can utilize psychotherapy and can supplement it with innovative holistic therapies such as meditation and dreamwork therapy. This combination of therapies can be very effective in allowing the newly recovering addict to get in touch with their true self. Ultimately, the utilization of these techniques can bring to those struggling with substance abuse a renewed sense of purpose and meaning.

An additional and powerful element to life purpose therapy is the use of specific guided questions that can help those new in recovery rediscover their ultimate sense of purpose in their own thoughts and words. These can include the following:

What Do You Love To Do, Even If You Weren’t Paid for It?

What do you think is your true calling, or what is that one thing that you were meant to do? You may not earn a living and keep a roof over your head, but it is a deeper passion or drive that propels you forward.

What Do Other People Say You’re Really Good At?

For those in life purpose therapy, that will often be asked what others think are their best assets. This question can be tricky because the addict may get the impression they need to follow what others think they should do over what they themselves think they should do. Instead, this question will allow the addict to pay attention to how others compliment them and what others think they are particularly good at.

What Is The One Thing You Want To Do or Accomplish Before You Die That Will Make You Feel Satisfied?

This question is perhaps the most powerful question that can be asked during a life purpose therapy session. This question may be the most difficult to answer because life is an unfolding journey and there may be “that one thing” that the addict truly wants to accomplish that will completely fulfill their life. However, as life progresses, there be other desires that may surface. The main purpose behind this question is to remind people to always look forward and look for those clues in daily lives that may lead to new and exciting directions.

Recovery is serious business, and you need to utilize any means necessary in order to give yourself the best chance at achieving and maintaining meaningful sobriety. It has already been said but it is worth repeating; having a strong sense of life purpose is the engine that keeps you moving forward in your recovery and your life going forward. Finding a drug rehab center that allows you to cultivate a sense of life purpose in therapy is a solid option for you to pursue.