‘The weather started getting rough…’
Have you ever watched the sitcom “Gilligan’s Island”? The show ran for three seasons in the mid-1960s and then had a long afterlife as a staple of afternoon reruns. There were even a couple of animated series and various made-for-TV movies related to the show—all of which were pretty odd.
The premise of the original show was straightforward: seven people find themselves marooned on an “uncharted desert isle” after their sightseeing boat gets lost in a storm. The boat—the S.S. Minnow—is badly damaged (and soon catastrophically destroyed in an accident involving a gluelike concoction the castaways create), and so the promised “three-hour tour” becomes a long, long island stay.
Surviving on the island—even in a silly situation comedy—requires a fair amount of resourcefulness. And that necessity is how this popular show connects to the recovery journey. If you are a person in recovery from a substance use disorder, using your resources wisely is a key to maintaining your sobriety over time.
Let’s see what Gilligan and his companions can teach us about effective use of resources in challenging times.
The Importance of Vigilance and Sticking Together
In an early episode, Gilligan repeatedly falls asleep while standing watch at night. His job is to keep an eye on the weather, protect the group’s supplies, and, of course, watch for passing ships that might rescue the castaways.
Because Gilligan can’t stay awake, the hutch with the supplies is robbed. And because the search party keeps splitting up, mayhem—in the form of a clever chimp—ensues.
While your recovery most likely does not involve a chimp, there are still a couple of lessons to be learned here. First, a person in recovery needs to stay vigilant. That means watching out for triggers and cravings that could put you in danger of experiencing a relapse. It also means having strategies, resources, and a strong support network in place to help you through tough moments.
Gilligan’s lack of vigilance gets the gang in trouble, but the decision to try to figure out what happened by splitting up makes everything worse. That’s also a lesson that applies to recovery. When you are struggling, you are not well-served by trying to tough it out on your own. Getting to a recovery meeting, calling your sponsor or mentor, or spending time with supportive friends or family are excellent ways to protect your sobriety.
The Importance of Staying Hopeful and Working Toward Your Goal
From the very beginning, the seven folks on the island knew they had to get to work. They built huts. They tried to make themselves visible to any passing boats or planes. They tried to communicate with the mainland. And, of course, they tried to fix The Minnow.
There were many hilarious setbacks, but the group stayed hopeful and stayed focused on their goal of getting rescued. While setbacks in recovery are anything but hilarious, the fact is that staying hopeful is a key part of the journey. So too is working consistently toward your most essential goal—lasting sobriety.
When the castaways faced setbacks, they could rely on one another. The same is true in recovery—even if the setback takes the form of a relapse. Returning to treatment can restore your sobriety and your sense of hope so that you can get back on track in pursuit of your sobriety goal.
The Importance of Keeping the Basics in Mind
“Gilligan’s Island” boasts one of the most singable TV theme songs of all time. In fact, it’s the kind of song that gets stuck in your head and can be hard to dislodge. It also lays out the plot of the entire series in just a few verses. We learn what happened, who it happened to, and what the premise of the show is by the time the catchy number is over.
While it arguably is not terribly hard to remember what “Gilligan’s Island” is about, there is still a useful lesson in its earworm of a theme. By keeping the basics of recovery in the forefront of your mind, you give yourself a better chance of staying on course (unlike the S.S. Minnow!).
Those basics include a number of things, including regular attendance at recovery meetings, healthy eating, getting enough restful sleep and regular exercise, and more. Keeping these foundational practices at the top of your mind serves the same purpose as a good theme song—defining the terms of your unfolding recovery story.
We Can Be an Island of Hope in a Sea of Troubles
At Bel Aire Recovery Center, located near Wichita, Kansas, we provide personalized care for substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, or issues grounded in trauma. Our inpatient program includes medically supervised detoxification and a rehabilitation program centered on group and individual therapy. We follow that up with a continuum of care designed to provide ongoing support as your recovery journey gets underway.
When you are ready to start a life-changing transformation, we are ready and able to help.
