“There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.”– Nelson Mandela
After much research for the steps of recovery, many organizations expressed the same ideas. I have utilized these many ideas and narrowed recovery to eight steps listed below. Motivation and drive make these steps possible to complete.

1. Awareness

“The reality of struggling is in the reality you are not. It is a mental breakdown in parts of your life you feel you have no control over.” – Unknown
Admitting the issue to you is the first step of recovery. You’ve reached an understanding and now you can get help. With every problem there is a solution and admitting the issue tends to show the light of a solution.

2. Reaching out

“We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.”– Ronald Reagan
This is the time when you come out of your bubble and conclude that you want to get better. Getting help seems hard but once you let your problem out you’ll feel a weight lifted off of your shoulder.

3. Defining strength

“The struggle you’re in today is devolving the strength you need for tomorrow.”– Unknown
Don’t let other people tell you what being strong is. Figure out what makes you stronger. Figuring out strength is strength within its self.

4. Anger

“Expectation is the mother of all frustration.”– Antonio Banderas
Recovery doesn’t come easily and that is what upsets many. Just take a deep breath, step back, you’re almost there.

5. Depression

“Depression begins with disappointment. When disappointment festers in our soul, it leads to discouragement.” – Joyce Meyer
It’s completely okay to feel wiped out, physically and mentally. It’s just another step you have to power through. You’ve made it this far why back down now?

6. Clarifying feelings and emotions

“That inner voice has both gentleness and clarity. So to get to authenticity, you really keep going down to the bone, to the honesty, and the inevitability of something.” -Meredith Monk
Make sure that you’re okay with how you feel, if anything is left bottled up you’ll just fall right back to where you were. Write it down, tell someone, or say how you’re feeling to yourself.

7. Regrouping

“There are times in life you just have to cut your losses, regroup, and move on with your life, and never look back.”- Unknown
Figure out where you want to go from here. You’ve clarified your emotions so really analyze what’s going on and make sure you’re okay.

8. Exit/ Relapse

“People think you’re like a car in a body shop. You go in, they fix you up and you’re out and you work like you’re brand new. It doesn’t work like that. It takes constant fixing.”– Demi Lovato
Once you’ve made it through the other eight steps you should be happy with the outcome but don’t assume that every single day is going to be as perfect as the rest. There’s time where you’ll fall down but you’ve build yourself once but you’ve done it once and you can do it again.

For anyone that needs a reason to recover this is it. Listed below are organizations that run 24/7 where people will listen and help you or anyone you know who may need help. No matter what you’re going through you are not alone. Stay Strong.

Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273- TALK
Crisis Text line: Text “Start” to 741-741
Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
Runaway Safe line: 1-800-786-2929
Safe Alternatives (cutting/self-injury): 1-800-366-8288
The Trevor Project (GLBT): 1-866-488-7386