How to Practice Self Forgiveness in Recovery

Learning to forgive yourself for past mistakes and poor decisions is key to your recovery process. This is not always easy, however. Forgiving yourself in recovery can sometimes feel self-indulgent, especially if you have caused pain or harm to others. Self forgiveness in recovery can help you move forward in a healthy and positive way. Here are four practical ways to begin forgiving yourself for your mistakes during your addiction recovery process.

Make Amends With Others And Forgive Yourself

One of the steps in the 12-step recovery process is to make amends to those you have hurt by your addictive behaviors. It is important to remember that you are also one of the people you have hurt and it’s important that you are forgiving yourself in recovery. Self forgiveness in recovery happens by accepting your past actions and attempting to make up for them, and you can often increase your chance of recovery. It is not necessary for you to be forgiven by others. In many cases, it is enough to make amends in the best way you can and then forgive yourself for the mistakes of the past. Finding ways to make amends to yourself and others and practicing self forgiveness in recovery can often provide a more stable basis for future sobriety.

Catalog Your Actions

Taking stock of your past actions can allow you to come to terms with shame and guilt associated with these actions. While you should not dwell on your past mistakes, taking a hard look at your own behaviors can often help you identify areas in which you can improve and people to whom you should make amends. This can assist you in the process of forgiving yourself in recovery from addiction.

Share Your Stories

Recovery can be a difficult and lengthy process. Trying to go it alone can make things much harder for you. Friends need friends who care, and sharing your journey is an important part of the process for most recovering addicts. In some cases, telling others about your past failures can make the process of forgiving yourself in recovery easier. You may actually feel a sense of relief when you share things of which you are ashamed with members of your addiction recovery group.

Take Care of Yourself

Self forgiveness in recovery is not simply an emotional and mental process. By taking care of yourself physically and making time to exercise, eat properly and receive necessary medical care, you can take practical steps toward forgiving yourself for the damage addiction has done to you physically. This can help you to make self forgiveness in recovery a practical element in your everyday routine and can provide you with greater strength and resilience when navigating your own unique recovery journey.

If You Or A Loved One Suffers From Addiction, Sober Living America Can Help

At Sober Living America, we are a faith-based addiction recovery program that focuses on a holistic approach to your recovery process. We provide assistance to all regardless of their ability to pay, which allows us to provide real help for those who need it most. If you need help with self forgiveness in recovery, finding the tools to avoid relapse or locating housing with others in similar situations, contact us today. We are here to help with your recovery journey.