There is absolutely nothing funny about addiction. Alcohol and opioid use disorders are causing deaths at unprecedented rates, destroying families, and costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars per year.

The beginning stages of recovery are rough, really rough: withdrawal (aka detoxification), post-acute withdrawal symptoms, cravings, etc. Once you get through these very difficult days and weeks (and you will) humor and inspirational quotes can be part of your healing process.

I kept hearing the term "meme" but I had no idea what a meme was. I had seen lots of funny or inspirational quotes and posts on the social media platforms I follow but did not know what they had a name.

So what is a meme?

A meme is a humorous image, video, piece of text, etc., that is copied (often with slight variations) and spread rapidly by Internet users.

If you google "Recovery Memes," you will find that pretty much every social media platform has a recovery meme section: Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram. Follow them and you will get daily memes.

Smiling and laughing can be part of your recovery toolbox. Nothing seems funny in the early stages of recovery. You still feel horrible. I get that. But possibly with some recovery under your belt, humor can be used to help you heal your body and mind.

It’s hard to give examples of humorous recovery memes because the picture or video that accompanies them is so crucial. Google it and you will see what I am referring to.

If humor isn’t your thing, there are inspirational memes. I love these! A little dose of inspiration and encouragement throughout the day can be really helpful and affirming. Recovery is hard and sometimes an inspirational quote will resonate with you to help realize how far you have come.

Here are some examples of inspirational quotes that I have recently come across.

“The purpose of life is... a life of purpose.”

“I am not defined by my relapses, but by my decision to remain in recovery despite them.”

“I hate to spoil the ending but everything is going to be okay.”

So be it humor or inspiration, use your time on social media to help in your recovery. Maybe someday you’ll be writing memes!

We would be happy to help in your first step towards recovery. The Coleman Institute for Addiction Medicine offers a safe, accelerated outpatient detox from opiates and alcohol.

Please call us at 877-773-3869. We would love to speak with you and see if our program is right for you; I think it is an inspirational meme just waiting to be written.

Deborah Reich, MD


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