Call Us Now 082-442-4779
Why honesty is so important in addiction recovery
Addicts tell lies more often than they tell the truth. “I’m not hurting anyone.” “I can stop any time.” Deception becomes so second nature, addicts will lie even when it’s just as easy to tell the truth. Many don’t even realize they’re fibbing or that other people see through the façade until they find an honest addiction recovery to work instead. Living a double life is exhausting, so why do addicts lie? So they can continue using, avoid reality, because of denial and because they believe they are different and the rules apply differently to them.
It is also true that when chemical dependency has been a part of our lives, not only does growth stop, distortion occurs. This distortion bears directly on our self-concept. The use of alcohol and other drugs pollutes our bodies and minds and impairs our judgment. Therefore, during periods of active addiction, our ability to be reasonable and rational is damaged, and our individual development is slowed and distorted. Quite simply, we can’t tell it like it is because we can’t see it like it is!
Sobering up can easily leave us confused about ourselves. We don’t know who we are. Some of the best clarification of who we truly are takes place during treatment. Aftercare and AA/NA post primary care are critical follow-ups to maintain and further develop this knowledge of ourselves. A return to the use of any mood-altering chemical will again cause distortion, and that’s guaranteed.
Why is it so important for us to get a clear, realistic view of ourselves in honest addiction recovery? Because sobriety cannot accommodate dishonesty (lying, keeping secrets, or dealing in half-truths). If we do not learn how to live truthful lives, we will die. I was never honest in my addiction. There was no room for it. Honesty would have messed up all the lies I had already told. It’s true, addicts lie. And while the lies can’t be ignored, they are actually a distraction from the real problem – the underlying issues that contribute to addiction, and a diversion from the solution to finding a path to recovery. Only by breaking through denial and seeing the truth can the addict begin to heal.
Truth in honest addiction recovery
Facing up to our drug-affected behaviour may seem too awesome a task, at first. It takes guts to own something we don’t want, to accept who we really are. And we may be very unsure of ourselves as we start coming clean in honest addiction recovery. In sober moments, addicts may feel extreme shame, embarrassment and regret. Unable to work through these emotions, addicts cope in the only way they know how: by using more drugs. To keep up appearances, they paint a picture of themselves to others that is far more flattering than the reality.
The thing we first feel we cannot do in this effort to survive through addiction recovery is use chemicals. But becoming clean entails far more than that. You have to get real, get honest and start speaking about it. Freedom from chemicals is the basis for growth, and in growth we will discover our real selves. We’re able to develop and rely on a sober support system: a Higher Power, a counselor, others who are recovering, family members, perhaps a counsellor or a spiritual adviser, and the groups with which we honestly share ourselves. There’s no faking it in this business of honest addiction recovery! If you’re honestly seeking to enlist that kind of support, you will find it.
For more help with honest addiction recovery and starting to find your own positive self concept foundation from which to build a new, positive self concept contact Pathways Plett Rehab and Wellness Centre. Call +27445330330