Reassuring and Inspiring Words of Encouragement for Recovery

If you or a loved one have struggled with addiction then you’re well-aware of the many challenges that come along with it. Whether you consider addiction to be a disease, a mental disorder, or simply a struggle with difficult demons, nothing changes the fact that it’s tough. These words of encouragement for recovery can help to inspire anyone who is working hard to remain sober from drugs and alcohol.

Inspiring Words of Encouragement for Recovery

These words were spoken by others who have struggled with addiction.

Short & Hopeful Quotes on Addiction Recovery

• “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” ~Zen proverb
• “It does not matter how fast you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
• “Though nobody can go back and make a new beginning, anyone can start over and make a new ending.”~Chico Xavier
• “The diamond cannot be polished without friction, nor the person perfected without trials.”~Chinese proverb
• “I wouldn’t have been able to have access to myself or other people, or even been able to take in other people, if I hadn’t changed my life.” – Bradley Cooper
• “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “Sometimes you can only find heaven by slowly backing away from hell.” -Carrie Fisher
• “Ya think that the whiskey tastes good? Try a big cup of sobriety—now that is the good stuff!” – Steven Tyler
• “I’ve never met an alcoholic in recovery who doesn’t believe that this is the best thing they have ever done.” – Adam Clayton

Inspiring Words of Encouragement for Recovering People

• “Recovery is not a race. You don’t have to feel guilty if it takes you longer than you thought it would.” – Unknown
• “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
• “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln
• “Sobriety was the greatest gift I ever gave myself.” – Rob Lowe
• “Don’t pick up a drink or drug, one day at a time. It sounds so simple. It actually is simple, but it isn’t easy—it requires incredible support and fastidious structuring.” – Russel Brand
• “My identity shifted when I got into recovery. That’s who I am now, and it actually gives me greater pleasure to have that identity than to be a musician or anything else, because it keeps me in a manageable size . . . It gives me a spiritual anchor.” – Eric Clapton

In Finishing

Addiction recovery is one of the most rewarding things that you can do for yourself. Unfortunately it’s also one of the most challenging. These quotes remind us that recovery is not only possible, it’s manageable.

Many people in recovery also find that they frequently struggle with depression. Depression is another challenge on its own. These quotes on overcoming depression can help with that.

Or, if you want to add a more thoughtful perspective to your recovery, you can always rely on philosophers. Check out these Confucius quotes to inspire positive thinking.