Quantifying Successes In Recovery

We tend to use time as a measurement for almost everything we do. This makes sense, as we live by the clock. If I'm baking, I want to make sure I don't leave my cake in the oven for too long, or else it will burn (and worse, I won't have cake). The clock is a good way to monitor this.

Working on the episodes on addiction made me think a lot about how much we don't just live by, but actively rely on the clock. To rephrase: it’s not just a tool we use to aid or guide us in life. It’s something that actually defines and drives our achievements, failures, everything in between. If I’m using time to tell me whether or not I’ve been successful in whatever pursuit, that negates the emotional or physical steps I’ve taken towards a certain goal. If I’m in school for x amount of time, am I more well versed in what I’m studying because of longevity, or because of the work I put in? Maybe both. The point is, our lives should not simply a function of time.

So, is time really a good measurement of success? With addiction recovery, a person who has relapsed is labeled again as a “newcomer.” They reset the clock and start again from Day 1. I’m not an alcoholic, so this is all purely conjecture (and please feel free to chime in on this in the comments), but I wonder if someone who relapsed after 10 years should be considered a newcomer. Isn't recovery much more convoluted than just a linear measure of time? Moreover, how do you define success? Is it having abstained for x amount of time? Is it having employed some other technique to manage your condition?

By the way - and now I’m speaking more generally about all mental health conditions including addiction - I’m not against quantifying success through time. I’m against using it as the only indicator of success. I actually think quantifying is not just important but perhaps a necessity, especially early on in recovery. Being able to put a number to a success is like being delivered a hard, tangible fact. It offers a type of reassurance that anecdotal information alone does not. I’m just also of the opinion that if you’re going to use time as a measure it should be supported by other measures. I think there needs to be a greater conversation, and perhaps reform, regarding the measurement of recovery among traditional treatment approaches.

Sources & Further Reading:**

**In treating addiction, abstinence is traditionally expected. I’m not in a position where I have enough information or experience to comment on whether or not I agree with this method. However, it is questioned for at least a portion of the work in the shared sources. My sharing these sources is not an endorsement for or against abstinence.

by Tanushree S.

Tanushree SenguptaComment