When suffering from addiction and mental health issues, we often will get to the point where we know we can’t continue on the way we’re going if we want to be happy and healthy. We’ve dealt with harmful, even dangerous consequences. We’ve made choices we regret. We’ve hurt ourselves and the people we care about. We often hit rock bottom and find that our lives have become unbearable. We know we have to make a change. Consciously we know we need help, but subconsciously we might still have blocks within us that are impeding our healing. As a result, we’re not fully aligned with our goals so we’re constantly working against ourselves, self-sabotaging and holding ourselves back. What are some of the ways in which we block our own healing?
One of our greatest forms of resistance to our healing is our fear. We’re afraid of breaking our attachment to our drug of choice and having to cope with life without it. We’re afraid of doing the hard work of recovery. We’re afraid to sacrifice the habits, lifestyles and relationships that enabled and perpetuated our addictions. We’re afraid of the withdrawal process, the depression, anxiety and sadness that can come with recovering, and all of the changes we’ll undergo. Sometimes we resist seeking help because we’re afraid of being judged by other people, being labeled as addicts, or being looked down upon. We’re afraid of what it will mean for us if we admit we need help, if we identify with being addicts and recognize that we have a problem.
Another way in which we block our healing is by escaping into our relationships in order to avoid the truth. We become so consumed with the issues and conflicts in our relationships that they function as a distraction. We avoid the truth of our problems, and we avoid our intuition, because we’re giving our time and energy to our relationships instead. When we’re struggling with addiction, we often form relationships with other addicts. Our partnerships can be full of toxicity. We enable each other’s bad habits and addictive patterns. We keep each other from getting the help we need. We convince ourselves that our problems aren’t as bad as the other people in our lives are making them out to be. We convince ourselves that our loved ones are overreacting, that they’re interfering with our lives and meddling in our relationships. We’re in such deep denial that we use our relationships to distract ourselves from the truth.
Riverside Recovery is committed to helping you get back the life you love. Our treatment programs include multiple forms of therapy, family workshops and mindfulness-based relapse prevention education. Call (800) 871-5440 for more information.