Addiction treatment is a safe place where you can work on dealing with shame. Shame and addiction often go hand in hand. Many clients do things that they deeply regret, which causes shame and which may lead to further self-medication to cope with that shame. This may then carry on in a vicious cycle. Get the help you need from addiction treatment to enter the recovery process while effectively working to handle shame and regret in a healthy manner.
The Relationship between Shame and Addiction
Addiction impacts your life in so many negative ways – including your relationships and the decisions you make. The shameful experiences clients go through are all personalized and everyone has their own experiences, but some of the most common behaviors clients feel regret for afterward are lying to others, hurting others (physically and/or emotionally), neglecting others or even engaging in criminal activity such as stealing in order to be able to support a habit. While these actions may not feel so bad when you are living with addiction, you will find that they can become a heavy weight to bear on the road to recovery at the addiction treatment center.
This is a normal reaction. It is a good thing that you feel bad for any wrongs you may have caused the people in your life. Whereas earlier you may have just used more drugs or alcohol to push away the feelings of shame, addiction treatment is the time to pick up healthier habits for dealing with shame on the road to recovery.
Dealing with Shame in Addiction Treatment
In order to have a successful recovery from addiction, you have to learn how to properly deal with your shame. Dealing with shame is part of the healing process as you make amends with the people you have hurt in the past and as you make amends with yourself. You will also increase your self-esteem and improve your self-image and self-confidence – necessary improvements for the ability to handle your shame in a healthy and effective manner.
Shame will be addressed often in your support group meetings (on a recovery client peer-to-peer level) as well as in psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is the main method of addiction treatment, as it allows you to uncover the underlying, personal causes for your addiction. You will address shame in one-on-one (between you and a counselor), group (among your recovery center peers) and family psychotherapy sessions in treatment.
If you or someone you love is suffering from the effects of opiate addiction, substance abuse or any other type of addiction, please call us today. Our addiction treatment counselors can help you deal with the physical, emotional and psychological consequences of drug and alcohol abuse. Programs for substance abuse are effective, safe and have helped many people reclaim their lives. Destination Hope is a full-service drug, alcohol and dual diagnosis treatment facility in Florida for men and women suffering from substance abuse and mental health issues.
