Beyond Survival Mode: Living Your Values Through Recovery's Toughest Challenges

When life gets turned upside down in recovery, what keeps you moving forward? In this powerful episode of The Addicted Mind Plus, hosts Duane Oline and Eric Osterlind explore how reconnecting with your values can be the anchor you need when emotional pain threatens to pull you under.

We've all been there – stuck in survival mode, consumed by shame, fear, or anger after a setback in recovery. The hardest part? Feeling disconnected from yourself, like you're just going through the motions of someone else's life. This episode dives into what value-based living really means and why it matters so much on your healing journey.

Drawing from the work of Dr. Steven Hayes (founder of ACT Therapy) and Brené Brown, Duane and Eric offer practical wisdom on how values serve as your "North Star" during life's storms. Unlike goals that can be checked off, values are ongoing qualities that give your life meaning and direction.

The hosts emphasize that valued living isn't about perfection – it's about direction, not destination. Even small steps toward what matters count as success. They also remind listeners that values can evolve over time, especially during challenging experiences that clarify what truly matters.

This episode includes a step-by-step walkthrough of a worksheet designed to help you reconnect with your values when you're struggling. From identifying challenges to taking small, intentional actions that realign you with what matters most, Duane and Eric provide a practical roadmap for living authentically even when it's hard.

Download The Worksheet

Whether you're facing a relapse, dealing with intense emotions, or simply trying to hold your life together, this conversation offers compassionate guidance on using your values as a compass to find your way forward again.

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Key Topics

• What value-based living means and why it matters in recovery
• How emotional pain can disconnect us from our values
• The difference between values and feelings in guiding our actions
• How values serve as your "North Star" during challenging times
• A practical worksheet for reconnecting with your values when struggling
• Small, intentional actions that can realign you with your values
• How community support can help you live according to your values

Timestamps

[00:01:48] Introduction to the importance of values in recovery

[00:03:24] How emotional pain disconnects us fromrom our values

[00:05:02] Values as ongoing qualities that give life meaning

[00:07:08] The question: "What kind of person do I want to be in pain?"

[00:08:37] The difference between values and feelings

[00:11:51] Step-by-step walkthrough of the values worksheet

[00:15:32] How values become your guide when the path is unclear

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Supporting Resources:

If you live in California and are looking for counseling or therapy, please check out Novus Mindful Life Counseling and Recovery Center.

NovusMindfulLife.com

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