You are not your pathology. You are not your addiction.
In fact, you are so much more. This can feel like a foreign concept to wrap your head and heart around. How can I be “good” if I have done so much “bad?”
Do you ever find yourself asking yourself some of the following questions?
- I have done so much bad in my life, how could I ever think of myself as a good person?
- How can I ever forgive myself for all the bad I have done to myself and others?
- I am manipulative and dishonest, how can I ever mend the relationships I have broken?
- All I know is a life controlled by addiction, how do I stop it from controlling me?
If so, you are not alone. Addiction has a powerful way about itself to force us into a shame spiral. The first step in breaking this cycle is learning to separate you from your pathology. Learning to separate you from you addiction. I encourage you to reframe the above questions in a manner such as the following:
- My numbing and self-medicating behaviors felt so powerful, that my addiction resulted in many “bad” behaviors, did these behaviors align to who I truly am?
- Addiction sucks. Addiction has caused a lot of pain in my life. How can I show myself grace for all that I have been through?
- Addiction is manipulative and dishonest, and that is my addiction, not me. What do I feel is important to communicate to others so that they can better understand who I truly am?
- Addiction has controlled my life for so long, and I am ready to heal and gain power over my life. What makes me feel empowered?
Recovery can feel like its getting worse before it gets better. Recovery is a process. You deserve all that recovery has to offer.
