Published August 22, 2025 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

Recovery is not a quick fix or a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s a slow, deliberate process that can feel painstaking.

As we discussed with Traylor Disbrow on Episode #6 of The Collector’s Compass, some people are fighting for the next five minutes, some for the day, and some for the week, some for the hour. Wherever you fall on that spectrum, every small step matters.

Those small victories, stacked brick by brick, become the foundation of long-term healing. The challenge is that many of us beat ourselves up over how slow it feels, forgetting that lasting change often takes years.

One of the most important truths is that honesty and openness are the starting points. When we keep our struggles hidden, isolation and shame take hold, and the problem grows stronger.

Healing, however, happens in community. It happens when we gather in spaces where people understand what we’re going through, where judgment is set aside, and where we are reminded that we are not alone.

This is why safe spaces matter—not only in the hobby, but in every arena where addiction or compulsive behaviors exist. Whether the struggle is drinking, drugs, gambling, overspending, or collecting, recovery looks different for each of us when control and moderation are lost. What remains consistent is the need for empathy, honesty, and connection.

This is also why our weekly peer support meetings are so important. They provide a consistent space to return to—week after week—because recovery isn’t about showing up once, it’s about building habits of connection.

Just this past week we had over 20 attendees, with several staying past the hour mark to continue the discussion. Some of the personal shares got raw and deeply emotional, reminding us all how much strength it takes to be vulnerable and how powerful it is to be witnessed without judgment.

One member put it perfectly: if he had one wish, it would be that anyone entering the hobby could be a fly on the wall in one of our meetings—not to scare people away, but to show how easily spiraling can happen without you even realizing it, and to raise awareness before more people slip.

As amazing as it is that 20 people showed up, the truth is there are still thousands, if not millions, silently struggling. That’s why it’s so important they know we’re here—whenever they’re ready, and whenever they need it.

Recovery is a lifelong commitment. The truth is, once an addict, always an addict—meaning we don’t get to graduate from recovery or outgrow the work. Even after years, or decades, of sobriety, it can be incredibly easy to fall off the wagon if we stop tending to it.

That’s why every brick matters. Without that steady foundation, recovery can become more like a fragile house of cards—something that looks solid for a while but can come crashing down in an instant. But when we keep showing up and keep stacking those bricks, we build something that can withstand the weight of life.

The road may be long and steep, but when we take it step by step, brick by brick, we begin to build something solid—something that can last.

#CollectorsMD
Recovery isn’t about speed—it’s about building a foundation strong enough to hold.

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