Learn Self-Acceptance Starting Today

How much do you really accept about yourself? Self-acceptance can be a challenge for everyone, especially people in recovery who carry a lot of shame and guilt for their addiction.

When you first made the decision to get sober, you showed that you were willing to accept that you are addicted to drugs. You also showed that you were willing to do what you needed to do to get help for it. There are a lot of things that you’ll need to accept in recovery. There are a lot of things that are out of your control. However, it’s important to work on self-acceptance.

What is self-acceptance?

When you’re in recovery, you’ll learn more about yourself and why you do the things you do. For example, you may have anxiety which triggered you to use alcohol and drugs. Accepting that you have anxiety, and that you need to learn new coping skills may sound straightforward. It takes some humility to accept that you have flaws that you need to work on.

Accepting that these things are true about yourself, and you’re able to

Changing Your Self-Image

Can you forgive yourself for the pain you caused yourself and others? This question may sound overwhelming when you first confront it. Most people in recovery worry that it is impossible to feel good about themselves again.

One of the first things to realize is that you suffer from a substance use disorder – addiction took over your body, mind and spirit when you were using. This is true for millions of other people with the disease of addiction. When you were using, you were a sick person who did some sick things to maintain your addiction. Now that you’re clean, you’re becoming a better person.

Forgiving yourself for all of your misdeeds can be quite a challenge. It may seem overwhelming when you’ve lived a life full of self-hate, guilt or shame.

You don’t have to do everything at once. Keep it simple.

Start by forgiving yourself and accepting yourself just for today. Just for today, know that you are a good person who has done some bad things, and you’re working on doing and being better everyday. Write it down on a card. “Just for today, I accept myself just as I am. I am a good person working on doing better and being better every day. I take responsibility for my addiction, but I am concentrating on my recovery.” Keep this card in your pocket when you are struggling with self-doubt, guilt, or shame.

Much of the longer-term healing and forgiveness in recovery will come through therapy, 12-step meetings and working the steps. There will always be issues in life that make you question yourself, but accepting who you are at the moment will help you respect yourself and be realistic about your limitations.

Getting Help

Do you or somebody you know have a problem with alcohol or drugs? Help is available. Learn more about how you can start your journey in recovery. We can help you explore your options and ansqer any questions you may have. Please give us a call at 1-619-363-4767.