The Re-socialization View

This view of recovery is...

“…highly social and involves the use of informal community resources that provide a sobriety-based framework in which one can stop drinking and maintain sobriety.”

William L. White
Slaying the Dragon

In the Re-socialization View of recovery, the biggest problem of the addict is not a need for spiritual experience, nor is it underlying psychological stressors.  Instead, the Re-socialization View believes that the addict’s biggest problem is using.  When the using stops, the addict’s biggest problem becomes how to stay stopped.  Solutions to these problems are fairly straightforward.  “Don’t use, go to meetings, ask for help.”  “Keep coming back.”  “Meeting makers make it.”  “90 meetings in 90 days.”  These and other similar slogans outline the program of the Re-socialization view—just keep going to meetings.

At times, meetings are emphasized so heavily that many people who hold this View do not work the steps.  However, those who do work the Steps, tend to see them as a way to increase involvement in the fellowship.  “Higher Power” and “God” are often interpreted as meaning the fellowship, the meetings, and sometimes the Steps and Traditions.  Turning one’s will and life over to the care of God, really means coming to meetings and becoming willing to share and listen to others.  Moral inventory and Amends are designed to help the fellowship stay intact even when personality clashes occur.

For Re-Socializationists, sobriety is understood as a difficult process, especially because the sober addict is forced to deal with feelings that were once suppressed by using.  When things get rough, an addict goes to a meeting and shares their pain.  Other addicts at the meeting sympathize and support those suffering.  Sometimes, if there is an addict present who has suffered through a similar hardship, there is a sharing of experience, strength and hope.  This makes meetings a kind of mutual-aid group.  Other activities that are important in the Re-socialization View are “meetings-after-the-meetings,” sober dances, camp-outs, and other non-meeting social gatherings for addicts.

Expectations for recovering people in the Re-Socialization View are moderate compared to the expectations for people recovering in the Conversion Experience View.  It is anticipated that recovery will be a painful process that lasts a lifetime.  One is not expected to find relief from mental obsession, nor a vital spiritual life.  Instead, the Re-Socialization View expects that people who stick with going to meetings will eventually be able to manage the business of daily life.  Recovering people can get jobs and relationships, and keep them for longer than they used to.  Recovering people don’t have to sell their TVs to buy drugs, or do any of the other behaviors associated with addiction.  Often, recovering people have more money and possessions than they did when they were using.  All of this is expected to provide some value and relief in the addict’s life.

The stories of recovering people who hold this View focus on the physical aspects of addiction and the despair and hopelessness of addicted life.  These stories are meant to be a reminder to the speaker, and to his or her audience of why not to use again.  Some times, though less frequently, stories focus on the things that the speaker has gained by being sober.  Generally, Re-Socialization stories end with gratitude for the program, the meeting, and for one more day of sobriety.

(back to Three Views of Recovery)