I put together a bookshelf today. I opened the box. I had all the parts, even some tools were included. And (of course) the booklet of instructions.
Like every good American, I started without the instructions and did away with the booklet. Once in a while, I’d get stuck. So I'd quickly glance at the pictures and then keep going.
The process was trial and error, but I was successful–until I looked at the clock. Then I wondered whether I would have saved more time and mistakes by using the instructions.
Rehab Depends on You
Open up the box of rehab and you have the parts, the tools, and the instructions to build your recovery. All the potential for a great recovery exists when you go to rehab, but you have to be the one to build it.
Natasha’s Story
Natasha Smith had everything going for her when she was 13. Her family was living the American dream; she was a good student and the No. 1 tennis player of her age group in California. But substance abuse was taking her life. Five years and four rehab centers later, Natasha has her life back and plays for the University of Utah’s women’s tennis team.
She admits that she was defiant during most of her days spent in rehab. She even ran away with another student after a month at the Family Foundation School, a therapeutic boarding school, in upstate New York. Natasha asked to come home, but her parents gave her two options: return to the school or answer to the police.
Natasha stayed at the school for another year. It was not until halfway through that she finally began to seriously apply what she was learning. And one staff member’s word were beginning to sink in– Natasha had incredible potential she was throwing away. According to Natasha, she went home after school and “was an angel” for six months.
Then, at 16, she slipped back into drugs and alcohol again. She describes, “It wasn’t even fun for me. I didn’t like it. It was just a bad cycle.” Natasha broke out of that cycle without having to go back to rehab, surrounding herself with positive influences and is grateful for tennis and her parents for saving her life.
What Will You do With Your Potential?
Natasha’s story shows us that going to rehab does not work by itself. She went through multiple rehabs and found no results until she began to be serious about her own recovery. The right attitude and application of what you learn in rehab is essential to recovery.
Start building your recovery today. And save yourself time from the beginning — follow the instructions.