MODELLING ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE RECOVERY PROCESS.
Addiction is a complex disease that requires everyone to understand the science behind it. In the treatment and recovery process, it is not unusual to come across stigma, blame, and disbelief. However, reframing accountability in addiction Recovery will help answer the question as to why it is everyone’s responsibility to support treatment and recovery.
In the journey of addiction recovery, outcomes are often misunderstood. I have seen in many scenarios where society is quick to point fingers at treatment centers and at models of care and recovery, without fully grasping the deeper truth; recovery is not a destination, it is a process. And that process requires more than just clinical intervention; it demands accountability, patience, and a collective shift in how we understand addiction.
The reality is that many individuals may enter treatment under pressure from broken relationships, loss of their livelihood, legal issues, and so on, but true recovery begins when a person chooses to surrender, embraces radical honesty, and commits to doing the inner work. That work is uncomfortable, just as recovery itself may feel uncomfortable. It challenges identity, exposes wounds, and requires consistent effort across multiple phases.
With the lack of science-based knowledge in addiction, families of loved ones in recovery may complain that their money just got lost; the issue may not be the facility. It may be that people have unrealistic expectations of trying to fix their loved ones. Although it may sometimes be a facility that does not follow a science-based approach from admission to discharge, or fails to adhere to post-treatment procedures. In some cases, it is a combination of all those factors, but the need for accountability must not be overemphasized.
Treatment centers may not be perfect, but many committed professionals pour their hearts into helping people survive, gain hope, heal, and rebuild. Families, communities, government agencies, and faith leaders must embrace the science of addiction and faith alongside our traditional and cultural approaches. Society needs to understand that addiction is a chronic condition with biological, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions. Recovery requires structure, support, and time. It requires us to stop scapegoating the process and start supporting it.
Let us all teach patience while modelling accountability. Let us walk with those in recovery because it is a complex venture. Sometimes it is easy, and other times it is messy. Indeed, healing is possible; let us make it everyone’s responsibility.
