I'm passionate about reminding people that recovery is something that we get to design for ourselves, and that includes defining how and at what pace it unfolds. Recovery can only be fairly and properly defined by the individual seeking or living in it.
The concept of having a recovery practice lends itself well to such ideas. When it comes to my recovery, what my recovery practice is made up of, and for what purpose or outcome, is up to me.
Your practice of recovery is up to you. Your loved one in, or seeking, recovery will have to determine their recovery practice and will need your support in that practice and how it might evolve over time.
The concept of recovery as a practice works particularly well for women who have a history of feeling disempowered in their lives and/or their recovery. This is especially true for women who have been impacted by abuse, systemic racism, and other traumas.
The more opportunities we each have to exercise agency and choice in defining both the parameters and the patchwork pieces of our recovery, the better. We design our own practice for recovery, and then we commit to following it imperfectly.