When you begin recovering from addiction, you must learn how to let go of your past life, past mistakes, and past ways of thinking. You must also let go of the way you think things should be in order to move forward. While letting go doesn’t mean you will be losing who you are as a person, it does allow you the space to begin healing and moving forward towards recovery.
Moving Away From Victim Mentality
Many that struggle with addiction often find themselves in the victim role. Individuals in this situation do not want to admit that the negative consequences they experience are because of their addiction. Instead, many will deflect the blame onto others or other external circumstances. In recovery, you must learn to take responsibility for your actions and focus on making changes in your life to help you become a better person. Over time, it will become easier to get out of this mindset.
Attempting Recovery Perfection
It is normal for individuals in treatment to want to do everything perfectly. After struggling for so long, it makes sense that you would like to avoid mistakes in recovery. However, remember that you are a human, and you will make mistakes, and that’s okay. The important thing is to learn from those mistakes. Remember, failure is a part of success. Every step forward is progress, and you should strive for progress, not perfection.
Being Overly Self-Critical
Addiction feeds off of low self-esteem. When you find yourself making a mistake or dislike something about yourself in the current moment, consider showing yourself some compassion. Being overly harsh towards yourself will only bring more negativity to your life. Focus on the positives and work on building yourself up instead of tearing yourself down.
Comparing Yourself to Others
It is natural in recovery to want to do everything perfectly. However, this can be toxic if you begin comparing yourself to others in recovery that seem to have it all together. It is essential to recognize that everyone makes mistakes in recovery, and everyone’s journey is different. You cannot compare yourself to others because you are not the same. Focus on yourself and your own recovery rather than trying to be like others.
Recovery is a time for self-reflection and learning to let go of the negative habits you practiced during addiction. It is also a time to pick up new, healthy habits that will help you move your recovery forward. Letting go of these negative behaviors will serve you in more positive ways than you can imagine. If you are having trouble, contact Alta Loma Transformational Services. We help men struggling with addiction become the person they have always wanted to be and find hope in sobriety. Learn more about our program today by calling (866) 457-3843.
