How to cope with the shame from addiction
Why Shame & Guilt are Dangerous in Addiction Recovery
Dwelling in guilt will almost inevitably lead to feeling shameful. Shame cuts much deeper than guilt does, which is what makes it so dangerous. When you’re caught up in feelings of guilt and shame, you may begin to feel as though you deserve these bad feelings about yourself. Ultimately, you are punishing yourself for the things you did in your addiction, and that doesn’t do you, or the people around you, any good.
Breaking The Cycle of Guilt & Shame in Addiction Recovery
Breaking the cycle of guilt and shame that is often present in addiction recovery is no small task. Here are a few things you can do to bring yourself out of these feeling’s.
o Recognise That Feelings of Guilt & Shame are Counter-Productive. As you come out of active addiction, It’s easy to be overly critical of yourself as well as the things that you did while you weren’t sober. No one deserves to be plagued by guilt and shame, and dwelling on these emotions is nothing more than self-destructive.
o Ask For Forgiveness. Everyone makes mistakes. Choosing to change your life and fight against your addiction is an extremely courageous decision, and part of recovery is making amends and asking those you have wronged for forgiveness. While they may not be in a place to be able to forgive you immediately, you will have done your best to make amends and put your actions behind you.
o Let Go of What You Cannot Control. The only person you are truly in control of is yourself. There are so many things that are outside of your control that can’t alter or change, your past being one of them. Holding onto the things you did in active addiction, the guilt of hurting people, or the shame of having an addiction won’t help your recovery, it will only drag you backward. Letting go of the things in your past is a big step towards being free from addiction.
o Forgive Yourself. Learning to forgive yourself is a long process. Dwelling on the things that you’ve done in the past is not constructive or beneficial to you. Your past is not what matters, what matters are the choices you make today.
