Finding Your True-Life Purpose in Therapy

The comprehensive, intensive and compassionate care that addicts receive from a quality treatment center can help those new in recovery get tools and support they need to overcome their addiction. These inclusive and effective programs include detox, therapy, life skills training relapse prevention and a variety of aftercare programs. the programs and services that are offered at a drug treatment facility are proven to work and individually molded to meet each client’s specific needs. 

These programs can empower addicts to uncover the root causes of their addiction and break the vicious cycle of substance abuse. While the tools and support are invaluable to those who seek treatment, there can be moments during the treatment process where the addict may feel they are spinning his or wheels. While these moments are a normal part of the early recovery process, it can create anxiety and doubt that recovery can be a reality.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle in moving forward in recovery in finding one’s true purpose and meaning in their life. With much time and energy focused on trying to get better, the addict can have considerable trouble finding meaning in their life. Finding one’s life purpose is perhaps the most essential ingredient in propelling the addict to recovery success. When you are able to find your true-life purpose in therapy, you are able to empower yourself to overcome your past and become a happier and healthier person. 

Defining Life Purpose: It’s Harder than You Think

While we may have a general grasp of what life purpose is, the concept of purpose itself does not easily fall into a simple cut-and-dried definition. In easy terms, life purpose is simply having a sense of meaning and purpose in life. While serviceable, this definition of life purpose doesn’t get to the bottom line of what the concept truly means. 

In order to start finding your true-life purpose in therapy, you must ask yourself a series of questions such as the following: 

• What does it truly mean to have meaning and purpose in your life? 
• How do you determine what that is? 
• Do you determine your own meaning as it pertains to your life? 
• Can you combine what you think is your own purpose with the purpose that someone else might have for you? 

While these questions can be difficult to answer and require great self-examination, it is necessary in order to determine your true-life purpose. Ultimately, life purpose is finding within yourself what makes you truly passionate. Having life purpose gives you a strong sense of self, what your capabilities are and what direction you are heading. You won’t know with much certainty what tomorrow may bring, but you have a wider world view and you know the difference between what you can and can’t control.

What Would Life Be Without Having Life Purpose?

Maybe you haven’t thought about it, but your daily life without having a solid life purpose is difficult. Life purpose helps us make important decisions that benefit us and helps us find healthy friendships and relationships. Life purpose also helps us better understand our suffering and gives us a blueprint to overcome suffering. Without a guiding life purpose, you enter a sort-of “default” mode where you try to avoid suffering as much as possible.

This way of life creates more suffering instead of less. Despite what you may feel on the surface, adversity and obstacles need to be met head on in order for you to grow and gain inner strength. Having purpose allows you to use your creativity and drive to solve problems. When you learn from your mistakes and pain, you feel a sense of accomplishment and meaning. 

Engaging in life purpose therapy helps you get in touch with the values, beliefs, needs and goals that are required to help drive your life in a positive direction. Life purpose therapy can also teach you important techniques like mindful meditation and dreamwork so you can develop a strong sense of inner guidance. As a result, you will be able to discover a sense of true purpose and meaning to better guide you through life.

Finding Life Purpose in Therapy

With life purpose therapy, experienced therapists fully understand those who are new in recovery may not have a clear sense of purpose and direction in their life. As a result, they may not understand that the obstacles and challenges they experience in life can be seen as an opportunity to grow. Those difficult times that a person may face in life may be far less terrifying or devastating when a lasting meaning to one’s life is already present or can be developed through the work of life purpose therapy. 

As alluded to earlier, a lack of solid life purpose will make the even the smallest of challenges feel overwhelming, confusing, and painful. Therefore, life purpose therapy can help addicts reconnect with those lasting values, beliefs, needs and goals they held dear in their life, and a sense of meaning and purpose can be built from there. 

How Life Purpose Therapy Works In Drug Treatment

Life purpose therapy in an addiction treatment setting can be comprised of numerous components. Life purpose therapy may have an individual psychotherapy or talk therapy base and it can include such innovative “outside the box” therapies such as meditation and dreamwork among other powerful healing options. This combination of therapies with a life purpose context the powerful tools they need for getting in touch with true inner self. Ultimately, the utilization of these techniques can bring to those struggling with substance abuse a renewed sense of purpose and meaning.

An additional and powerful element to life purpose therapy is the use of specific guided questions that can help those new in recovery rediscover their ultimate sense of purpose in their own thoughts and words. There can be a variety of questions that therapists can utilize in order to promote deep thought and dialogue, such as the following:

What Do You Love To Do, Even If You Weren’t Paid for It?

A person’s true calling in life is directly tied to one’s life purpose. Even though it may not be what the addict does to earn a living and keep a roof over their heads, it is a deeper passion or drive that propels them forward and helps earn currency in their soul.

What Do Other People Say You’re Really Good At?

For those in life purpose therapy, that will often be asked what others think are their best assets. This question can be tricky because the addict may get the impression they need to follow what others think they should do over what they themselves think they should do. Instead, this question allows the addict to pay attention to how others compliment them and what others think they are particularly good at. 

What Is The One Thing You Want To Do or Accomplish Before You Die That Will Make You Feel Satisfied? 

This question is perhaps the most powerful question that can be asked during a life purpose therapy session. This question may be the most difficult to answer because life is an unfolding journey and there may be “that one thing” that the addict truly wants to accomplish that will completely fulfill their life. However, as life progresses, there be other desires that may surface. The main purpose behind this question is to remind people to always look forward and look for those clues in daily lives that may lead to new and exciting directions.

Is Life Purpose Therapy Right for You?

Being able to delve deeper into who you are and what you want out of your life is crucial in making your recovery complete. As stated earlier, a drug treatment program will be useless to you if your internal compass is not functional and solid. Taking the time to discover “the real you” will help you find the motivation and empowerment you need to be confident in facing the challenges that await you when you successfully complete treatment.

Today is the Day You Realize Your True-Life Purpose 

When you are lost in substance abuse, you feel physically, psychologically and spiritually adrift. When you feel lost in life, finding the peace and balance that recovery brings can feel like a far away dream. The key to getting your life back is to find your true-life purpose. A big part in finding that purpose is calling Drug Rehab Program Journal toll-free today.

We at Drug Rehab Program Journal believe in providing all who seek our services the tools and resources needed to find health, happiness and sobriety. No matter the severity of your substance abuse, we can find the treatment options that best fit your unique and specific goals and needs. From the first phone call through completion of treatment, we will be with you every step of the way.

Call us today at 1-800-205-1201 and begin your journey of strength and self-recovery.