You probably know the song “Life Is A Highway.” You might be most familiar with the Rascal Flatts version, but we are partial to this somewhat bizarre video for Tom Cochrane’s original recording. (We strongly discourage you from playing the harmonica in the middle of the highway.)
In the song, the singer suggests a series of destinations that are not really connected by a highway:
From Mozambique to those Memphis nights
The Khyber Pass to Vancouver’s lights
The point seems to be that life’s “highway” can take you many, many places—some of which might be pretty unexpected. (The Khyber Pass, for example, is in Pakistan, and it is 6,605 miles—and the Pacific Ocean—away from Vancouver.)
We think the song applies to the twists and turns of the recovery journey. Let’s look at the ways in which recovery is like a highway.
It’s Best to Get Off to a Good Start
If you are headed off on a long journey on the highway, it is a good idea to make sure you are fully prepared and in the best position to get off to a good start. That means making sure your car is in good repair and full of gas (or, increasingly, charged up). It means making sure you have packed appropriately, have a good supply of snacks, and have a map or a GPS device that can help you get where you are trying to go.
The best place to start your recovery journey is in treatment. You can think of treatment as the process of getting ready for the journey ahead. Medically supervised detoxification allows you to reclaim your sobriety—which is equivalent to getting your car tuned up and fueled up. A robust rehabilitation program involves learning strategies and gaining resources that will serve you along the way—which is equivalent to packing appropriately (and we stand by our suggestion that you will need snacks—preferably healthy ones). A continuum of care helps you feel confident as your recovery journey gets underway—which is equivalent to having a map or a GPS device that can help you stay on course.
The Journey Is Unlikely to Proceed in a Straight Line
Most lengthy journeys aren’t limited to a single straight road. Sure, you can get from Kansas City to St. Louis or to Denver on a single interstate, but that is more the exception than the rule. Even Kansas City to Wichita, which is a much shorter trip, requires a couple of roads.
And sometimes even the most straightforward of trips is interrupted or redirected by construction or an accident that requires a detour. Those sorts of inconveniences are never fun, but they do eventually get you back on your desired path. And, of course, you might experience car trouble along the way, which requires a period of repair to get you going again.
On your recovery journey, you may—in fact, you probably will—experience any number of challenges: cravings, post-acute withdrawal, loneliness, and more. And sometimes, those challenges are less like an annoying detour and more like a car breakdown. A relapse, like a breakdown, requires a period of repair back in treatment to get you sober and going again on your ongoing recovery trip.
Focusing on the Journey Rather than the Destination
When you think about it, “Life Is A Highway” does not seem to be terribly concerned with destinations. Sure, as we have noted, some specific places are mentioned, but the focus appears to be firmly on the value of the journey. The singer wants to “drive it all night long,” after all.
In a similar way, the recovery journey is best thought of as, well, a journey rather than a destination. You are traveling down the highway of sobriety, dealing with issues as they arise, and continuing on your way. Maintaining your sobriety is thrilling—like a good road trip—in and of itself.
You Can Get Your Recovery Journey Underway at Bel Aire Recovery Center
At Bel Aire Recovery Center—located near Wichita, Kansas—provides everything necessary for you to begin your recovery journey. We provide medically supervised detoxification to allow you to safely reclaim your sobriety, a rehabilitation program grounded in group and individual therapy that includes treatment for co-occurring mental health disorders, and a continuum of care that ensures you get going in the right direction when treatment comes to an end.
Our philosophy or treatment is built around you, and that means you can count on us to provide personalized care built on a foundation of evidence, expertise, evidence and—importantly—empathy. We wholeheartedly believe you can rebuild your life—and we are equally confident that we can help. Start your recovery journey with us.
