Three years ago, my life took an unexpected turn when I experienced a stroke. Previously enjoyable activities became sources of pain and frustration. As a recovering alcoholic, I find solace in the principles of the first step of Alcoholics Anonymous: admitting powerlessness and recognizing unmanageability.
If I replace recovery from alcoholism with stroke recovery, I can apply the concept of admitting powerless over my stroke and acknowledging that it has made parts of my life unmanageable. Reflecting on the past three years, I've caught myself obsessing over reclaiming the life I once led. Acceptance has been a struggle. As we say in AA, it's progress, not perfection.
I've realized that, at times, I minimize my pain to indulge in the activities I want to do, triggering my chronic head pain and inadvertently worsening my condition. It's crucial to discern what's within my control. While I cannot prevent these activities from inducing pain, I can modulate the duration and intensity with which I participate to avoid symptom triggers.
This guidance of focusing on the things I can control mirrored a lesson from my sobriety journey. Today, I shared with her how this principle has been integral to both my sobriety and stroke recovery. It's reassuring to know that the tools I've acquired in sobriety are equally valuable in stroke recovery.
Lately, I've been swelling with hope and gratitude. Despite the limitations my stroke has imposed, I remain committed to exploring new ideas to find activities I'm passionate about, making incremental progress each day, and appreciating the support of those around me. We may not have control over every aspect of our recovery, but we can control how we respond, care for ourselves, and reach out for support.
