I am generally not a fan of memes, however there is one out there I appreciate. It says something to the effect of “If you do not like where you are, move. You are not a tree.”

There is something to be said in this, but sometimes moving is easier said than done. So often, people come to treatment wanting to see a change in their lives or situations. People come to treatment because something in their lives is not working, be it a relationship, work, a memory that keeps them stuck in the past or substance use. People want something to be different in their lives so that they can move forward.

What many people do not realize or understand is that what needs to change for their situation to improve more often than not is them. We have to change if we want our situations to improve. Either we have to change how we are reacting to something or someone or we have to change our behavior.

But change is difficult. Making our way to treatment is the first step in changing ourselves, but we have to be willing to do the work of treatment before change can happen. Anyone can come to treatment and talk about their problems, but in telling our stories we have to come to the realization that we are the solution to our problems. Our therapists and counselors can point us in the right direction, but we have to summon the courage to make the changes in our lives that will move us forward.

Change can be frightening for us, though. There is another meme I appreciate, it says something like, “Change is scary, but you know what is even scarier? Regret.” I truly believe this is true. You can stay in the same place because it has become comfortably uncomfortable, or you can seek treatment and do the work of recovery to move forward in your life and find your way to mental wellness and out of addiction. Are you ready to make the changes you need to create for yourself the life you deserve? Are you ready to be the change you need in your own life?