Self-Forgiveness in Sobriety
Addiction takes a toll on many elements of a person’s life. Self-Forgiveness in sobriety plays an important role
Addiction negatively affects a person’s health, wellness, and ability to focus and make good choices. It can ruin reputations and relationships, as well as destroy your ability to believe in yourself.
Receiving forgiveness from those hurt during an addictive cycle, including self-forgiveness can be a difficult, but necessary step in recovery.
Self-Forgiveness requires acceptance of who you are, right where you are. It makes no excuses for the past, but allows you to let go of the constant reliving of failures, and errors in judgment. It opens the door to emotional healing, which is critical to any prospect of ongoing sobriety.
Sustainable Life of Sobriety
Moving away from the negative culture of addictive behaviors and into a healthy, sustainable life of sobriety requires layers of forgiveness.
You might need to cross more than just the bridge of self-forgiveness. You might need to offer forgiveness to those you feel have done you harm – whether real or perceived.
Letting go of hard feelings, anger and judgment toward others is just as important as ongoing counseling and abstinence.
Failure to make forgiveness a part of your daily recovery routine has consequences as well. Those who hold onto grudges, or who harbor self-loathing thoughts tend to allow long-past issues to fester.
Lack of self-forgiveness can result in:
- A loss of love for yourself. Indifference toward yourself and your needs.
- An emotional vacuum in which little or no emotions are shown or shared.
- Chronic attacks or angry outbursts against self.
- Disrespectful treatment of self.
- Self-destructive behaviors.
- Self-pitying.
- Chronic recalling and reminding of past failures, mistakes, errors, and offenses.
- Suspicions about others’ motives, behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs when they are accepting of you.
- Chronic depression. Chronic hostility, sarcasm, and cynicism.
Major Hallmark of Relapse
That behavior leads to the slippery slope of poor self-esteem, which is typically a major hallmark of relapse into the self-destructive world of addiction.
“The good news is: you don’t have to figure out self-forgiveness on your own.”
We stand ready to walk with you on the journey to a positive self-perspective. Forgiveness is never easy… but it’s much easier when the voice of reason takes the journey with you.
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