Have you ever thought about just how many different ways people find to compete with one another?
There are traditional sports, of course, in which teams or individuals face off in the hope of winning the competition and the glory that goes with it. Often, these sporting events are filled with drama, strategy, luck, and brilliance—all of which whip the fans (and the players themselves) into a frenzy. Baseball’s 2025 World Series, for example, had just about everything any fan could want out of a competition between the last two teams standing at the end of the season.
But sports are just one arena of competition. Our kids compete in academic contests like the Academic Decathlon. Every music ensemble—from marching band to show choir—takes part in a series of competitions. The theater program puts its best work up against the best work of other schools. And the debate team is out there arguing up a storm and hoping to come out victorious.
It does not stop when a person’s time in school comes to an end. Every business has its competitors. Every employee hopes to win a promotion over other candidates. We measure results by comparing salaries or how big a person’s office is (or whether they have an office at all). And on our televisions and online, folks compete for love, in cooking competitions, in survival games, to attract investors, and on and on and on.
It can seem like every single aspect of life has some element of competition embedded in it. But when it comes to recovery from a substance use disorder, competition should be the furthest thing from your mind.
Counting Recovery Days Is Not a Competition
You may be wondering if we are on solid ground when we suggest that recovery is not a competition. After all, you may be thinking, it is common practice to count how many days you have gone without drugs or alcohol and to report those numbers in recovery meetings. Often, small tokens are given to those who achieve milestone numbers. Seen a certain way, it might appear that every person’s number represents where they are in competition.
But that is not the right way to look at it. Instead, think of each day without drug or alcohol use and each milestone reached as proof that you can maintain your recovery over time. Your number is not about comparison with others. Instead, it is a good reminder that you have made it through good days and hard days while keeping your recovery intact. You are not engaged in a competition to see how many days you can rack up compared to someone else. Rather, you can look to your past collection of successes as motivation to keep moving forward one day at a time.
Everybody in Recovery Is on the Same Team
To have a competition, you need at least two competitors, right? But when it comes to recovery from substance use disorders, everyone who is going through the experience is on the same team. That is important because it means you can also root for your peers—just as they can root for you—and never against them.
It can be easy to forget that everyone in recovery is on the same team. Personalities clash and a spirit of competitiveness can arise. It is far better, however, to always treat your peers in recovery with kindness and encouragement—and to accept kindness and encouragement from them. That is the guiding principle behind recovery meetings, which provide a safe space for people to share their challenges and encourage one another to keep pressing forward.
In other words, when it comes to the recovery journey, a spirit of compassion can replace any spirit of competition. That is to everyone’s benefit because recovery is difficult and sometimes discouraging (as in the case of a relapse). Knowing that everyone is on the same side and equally invested in each other’s recovery can see you through some real difficulties or provide the encouragement necessary to restart a recovery journey after a setback.
We Are Always on Your Team
When you are struggling with drugs or alcohol, it frequently feels like you are on the losing end of an unfair fight. The substances are chipping away at your mind, body, spirit, and more, but the rigors of withdrawal makes it all but impossible to stop using drugs or alcohol on your own. You are on the wrong end of a lose-lose situation.
However, Bel Aire Recovery Center, located near Wichita, Kansas, can change the outcome for the better. Via medically supervised detoxification and a rehabilitation program built around group and individual therapy, we can help you escape from the grip of drugs and alcohol. And we can give you the tools, strategies, and support you need to leave those substances behind. When treatment comes to an end, we provide ongoing aftercare to ensure you can start your recovery journey with confidence because once we are on your team, we are always on your team.
If you are ready to make a change that allows you to reclaim your life, we are ready to help.
