Unless you’re riding the “pink cloud,” early recovery pretty much sucks. Period. You’re already feeling some combination of tired, bored, and sick from the initial detox, and all you can see ahead is an eternity of saying “no” to something that once brought so much joy. But remember, it’s normal to romanticize past substance use and neglect to remember the ugly consequences. With that lack of perspective, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by disappointment in the first stages of recovery.
Disappointment is a natural feeling that everyone experiences in their lifetime. We can’t expect life to be perfect and amazing because it isn’t. Life brings us curve balls when we least expect it. And just because you’re disappointed in something doesn’t mean that feeling will last forever. We are meant to overcome feelings, and power through them. Dealing with disappointment is not easy, and in some circumstances can be really painful. Whether it’s someone else we are disappointed in, or we disappoint ourselves, there’s only one thing to do; learn from it and move on.