Trends and Statistics - Drug and Alcohol - Addiction Recovery

3 Ps of Recovery: Passion, Power, Purpose

Addiction will strip you of your passion, power, and purpose. At The Forge Recovery Center, we’ll help you regain all 3.

3 Ps of Recovery: Passion, Power, Purpose

Table of contents

Written by

Brian MooreBrian Moore

Content Writer

Reviewed by

Jeremy ArztJeremy Arzt

Chief Clinical Officer

August 13, 2022

The Forge Recovery Center

When you Google the 3 Ps of Recovery, you will get many results.

You may see many words, including perseverance, patience, and practice. At The Forge, we believe those words have significant meaning. But The Forge chooses to focus on:

  • Passion

  • Power

  • Purpose

Those are the three Ps of recovery we spend time on during drug and alcohol treatment.

Why the 3Ps of Addiction, Anyway?

Through addiction, you lose yourself. Your dreams go by the wayside, you become powerless against your addiction, and you forget how to find your meaning in life. Rebuilding your joy and sense of self-confidence should come first in addiction recovery because you deserve to let go of your past and feel good about yourself.

Our 3 Ps of recovery focus on shedding blame and shame while helping you rediscover what brings you happiness in a world free of drug and alcohol abuse. Practicing these three Ps will help you let go of your addiction and learn to love yourself again.

Passion

Substance abuse disorders (SUDs) have many stereotypes. Many of them portray you as someone who repeatedly chooses to make bad decisions. However, this is not an accurate assessment in any way.

One of the leading causes of addiction is untreated trauma that has led to years of mental torment. Some forms or sources of trauma can include the following situations:

  • The death of a family member

  • A strained relationship with a loved one

  • Sexual assault

  • War

  • An injury

If you have experienced trauma and do not receive proper mental healthcare, you are at high risk of developing an addiction.

Here’s why: As you attempt to deal with your trauma independently, it can be tempting to turn to dangerous coping mechanisms, including drug abuse. If you struggle with SUD, you might have lost your passion for life because of the trauma you experienced before your addiction began. Reigniting this passion can be key to ensuring a sustained recovery.

Passion can take many forms. It can be a passion for recovery, a passion for nature, or a passion for art. Most importantly, it should be a passion for yourself and your life. Building this passion requires a great deal of self-discovery, which can be challenging and exciting. Recovery should not just be about sitting in a hospital bed, taking medications, and visiting therapists.

In recovery, you have an opportunity to expose yourself to new activities to help you better define what brings you joy and excitement.

At The Forge, we are dedicated to helping you explore the outside world through recreation, music, art, and a wide variety of opportunities that will stimulate your mind and engage your energy. Through passion, you can begin to look toward the future with excitement and hope.

Power

It is no secret that drug addiction takes your power away, especially if the cause of your addiction is trauma. Traumatic events can make you feel like you have no control over your life. Addiction strips that power further from you as you battle to choose self-care, self-love, and self-reliance over drugs and alcohol.

When you choose recovery, you are choosing to rediscover your agency and take back control of your life. Our staff is focused on ensuring you have autonomy in your treatment plan. Our goal in treatment is to empower you to make decisions and set boundaries with us so that you gain practice in these skills and can continue to use them after you leave treatment. As you build your power, it will give you the confidence to do things you never thought you could, because it will allow you to trust yourself in making the right decision for your future.

Purpose

Addiction can make a mess out of your life. As you debate entering into recovery, standing in the rubble of broken relationships, dwindling finances, and neglected physical and mental health, it is easy to ask yourself, “What’s the point?”

SUD is marked by its ability to leave you feeling lost and lonely in the world. It can easily make you neglect the other ways you found purpose in life by directing so much of your time, finances, and emotional energy into substance abuse. Fortunately, through regaining your purpose, you can make it through treatment, avoid relapse, and maintain recovery.

Purpose, like passion, invites you to rediscover what brings you joy. Although, purpose asks you to take your joy and turn it into meaning. There is a difference between something that makes you feel happy and something that makes you want to get up in the morning. Through engaging deeply with activities, projects, and relationships that you find meaningful, you can reconnect with your purpose in life. 

It may take a while to find “your thing,” and it may include multiple things that come together into a life that you are proud of. When you discover what gives you meaning and engage with it regularly, you will find it is much easier to be happy without drugs and alcohol.

The Forge Recovery Center Treats Addiction Holistically

At The Forge Recovery Center, we believe recovery is more than a time to detox from drugs. Addiction treatment is most successful when it becomes a time for you to discover who you are. Discovering who you are will allow you to find the things that bring you joy and fulfillment in life. This is important to keep in mind when looking for an addiction center.

The Forge Recovery Center will help you find your passion, power, and purpose so that you can be excited about your life free of drugs and alcohol. We will be with you in every step of your recovery journey to support you as you rediscover your passion, your power, and your purpose.

No matter where you are in your addiction, you can take back control of your life. Contact us today to learn more.

Newsletter banner

Sign up for our newsletter

Stay updated with the latest news, resources, and updates from The Forge Recovery Center.