How Shame Can Play a Role in Addiction
For anyone in addiction therapy, shame can play a large role on the road to recovery. Overcoming shame is something a lot of recovering addicts have to face even before they begin addiction therapy. Many addicts have to first get over feelings of shame before they can reach out for help.
Olympia House Rehab can help you understand the role shame plays in addiction and recovery. Read on to learn more.
What is Shame in the Context of Addiction?
Shame can result from a variety of things. Trauma, difficult situations, and bad experiences can make people feel deeply inadequate. When a person feels ashamed, they may start concealing their behavior from their peers. This can lead to a dependence on drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism.
The relationship between feelings of shame and addiction can trap an addict in a dangerous loop. Their dependence may increase their shame and cause them to feel a need to conceal their truth from other people and even from themselves, making it difficult to get help early on.
Additionally, a person can feel unworthy of love or that they don’t deserve to be happy as a result. This mentality can drive a person away from seeking help. It can cause them to isolate themselves and make it difficult for their friends, family, and loved ones to intervene.
In the context of addiction, shame plays a role in preventing a person from getting help. Shame and substance dependency go hand in hand. Even if the person acknowledges that they have a problem that needs to be handled, they may be too embarrassed by what others may think of them to get the help they require.
Recovery and Shame
Healing from addiction and shame can be a difficult thing: no path to recovery is easy, and feeling ashamed about your dependency can make it even harder to recuperate. With professional guidance and support, you can lead yourself down the road to recovery, one step at a time.
If you’re feeling ashamed about your substance dependency, below are some things to keep in mind.
Be Kind to Yourself
As a recovering addict, you might experience guilt over particular relationships or how your behavior has affected others. Whether or not you get the other person’s forgiveness, acknowledge the relationships that have ended and apologize before you start to let go.
It’s important to give yourself kindness. Mistakes are a part of being human. Acknowledge that you’ve done wrong, but give yourself room to understand that there is still hope to recover.
Give Yourself Time
The length of recovery varies from person to person, and healing isn’t instant. Give yourself time to make progress.
There is Always Someone Who Can Help
At Olympia House Rehab, there is always someone who can help. Our addiction therapy center can help you deal with feelings of shame as you go on your journey to recovery. You can choose from our range of professional services, whether you’re interested in individual psychotherapy sessions or want to connect with a peer support group.
Reach out to us to get started.
