Why is Forgiveness Important in Addiction Recovery?
Forgiveness is important during alcohol and drug rehab for many reasons. When we can forgive ourselves and others for past behaviors, it helps us to:
Break the Cycle of Shame
Shame can be a big factor in drug addiction – you might feel shame from using drugs, shame in how you treated people you loved, or feel shame in many other ways. By learning to forgive oneself for past mistakes, you’ll be better equipped to move forward with a sense of self-compassion and acceptance.
Let Go of Resentment and Rebuild Relationships
Drug addiction often damages relationships with the people we care about most. If these relationships come to an end, it can be easy to have anger and resentment towards those individuals for setting boundaries. By learning to forgive them, there’s potential for the relationships to heal. Forgiveness also makes it possible to rebuild trust, an important part of any relationship.
Reduce Stress
Carrying around anger and resentment can be emotionally exhausting and very stressful. It can also harm your physical health over a period of time. Even if you don’t realize the effect these emotions have on your daily life choices, they definitely play a role. Forgiveness can help you to release these emotions so that you can better focus on your recovery and overall well-being to reduce the chances of relapse.
Achieve Personal Growth
Forgiveness can help you reach your full potential in addiction recovery. It enables you to confront your past actions and better understand yourself and your emotions. It also helps you make positive changes in your life. All of these things can contribute to a more successful recovery and happier life.
3 Ways to Forgive Yourself and Others
Here are three specific things you can do to work towards forgiving yourself and others during the addiction recovery process:
1. Write a Forgiveness Letter
A forgiveness letter to yourself or to others is a way for you to express any regrets you might have in how you treated someone. It also can be a place to acknowledge mistakes you might have made in the past. By being honest with your thoughts and feelings and putting them onto paper, it helps you to reflect on lessons learned and ways you can change going forward.
2. Receive Help From Professionals
Many times forgiveness can be difficult, involving many different emotions and concerns. Whether it’s self forgiveness you’re trying to achieve or forgiveness of others, receiving help from licensed therapists (including ones that specialize in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)) can help you navigate all the feelings you might have around specific events. Therapy can be very effective in addressing drug addiction and alcohol addiction while helping you address any negative feelings.
3. Practice Self-Care
Practicing self-care can go a long way, especially when it comes to forgiveness. Many times when we treat ourselves with kindness and compassion, it becomes easier to treat others in the same way and have more empathy for their past behaviors. Eating well, drinking enough water, getting enough sleep, and speaking to yourself nicely are all simple things you can do on a daily basis to treat yourself with a little extra kindness.
Practicing self forgiveness and seeking forgiveness from others isn’t easy, but it can be a significant step in the healing process while on your path to living a sober life.
Get Addiction Treatment with Assure Recovery Center
At Assure Recovery Center, we’re a leading drug and alcohol abuse treatment center with a patient-centered approach dedicated to healing the underlying causes of addiction. Our treatment programs provide highly specialized solutions to address the intricacies of each client’s needs. Whether it’s your first time seeking treatment or you have a history of relapse, our team is committed to providing compassionate, effective care to help you achieve lasting sobriety. Call (833) 530-0291 to start recovering from addiction today.
