Sherry Gaba LCSW, Psychotherapist, Life and Recovery Coach on Celebrity Rehab on VH1 and author of “The Law of Sobriety” which uses the law of attraction to recover from any addiction. Please download your copy of “Eliminate Limiting Beliefs”, from Sherry’s, Enrich Your Life series. Contact Sherry at sherry@sgabatherapy.com for webinars, teleseminars, coaching packages and speaking engagements. Join Sherry for Conscious Awakenings: Manifest Your Life Purpose Spring Tele-Summit 2011

Getting Out Of The Spotlight

Actor Matthew Perry has decided to take some time off. He is most recognized for his role of Chandler on the TV hit comedy sitcom Friends. His relationship with addiction goes back a few years when the actor struggled with an addiction to prescription pain medication. Perry entered rehab in 1997 and in 2001. He stated to TMZ that:

“I’m making plans to go away for a month to focus on my sobriety and to continue my life in recovery. Please enjoy making fun of me on the world wide web.” Matthew Perry

Taking time to focus on sobriety is no laughing matter. For a recovering addict, sobriety must come first. Losing focus on sobriety can result in the recovering individual experiencing a relapse. Taking time off, to focus on sobriety and recovery is one of the wisest courses of action.

The journey of recovery consists of many twists, turns and road bumps. If the person doesn’t take time to ground him or herself and seek reminders of why recovery is so important, they will quickly forget. Sobriety will no longer remain the number one element of their day-to-day list of priorities. There are warning signs of becoming complacent and allowing recovery to become less of an important element. These warning signs can be:

• Engaging in behavior similar to when they were actively using.
• Extreme mood swings.
• Neglecting their unique path of recovery. This can mean missing 12-step meetings, missing therapy appointments or not working their structured plan that keeps them sober.

If an individual in recovery feels that their world is becoming more chaotic, taking a respite may be the answer. As Matthew Perry is exemplifying, taking some time off to focus may be the answer to maintaining sobriety. Removing oneself from their current environment allows them to clearly reflect on their motivation and their actions. When one can examine oneself clearly, they will notice if any warning signs for relapse exist.

In order to maintain a successful recovery, self-reflection is a necessity. We may not be in a position to take a whole month off, but we all have a few minutes each day. In these few minutes, we can remind ourselves of the importance of our sobriety. This will be the fuel to maintain sobriety.