While amid active addiction, you most likely were not proud of the person you had become. Those struggling with addiction often engage in several negative behaviors that cause them to lose friends, relationships, jobs, and more. These behaviors can involve lying, stealing, hiding, manipulating, blaming, and more. Now that you are in recovery, it is a great time to begin changing those behaviors to transform yourself into a better person.
Now that you are sober, there is no reason that you need to lie. Lying is one of the biggest obstacles in recovery. It will cause you to engage in hiding a part of your life from others. This can lead to addictive behaviors again, which can result in relapse later on. Being more honest will help you stop living in denial and stop making excuses as to why you cannot recover. It will also help you rebuild your relationships and even create new ones. Don’t fall back into the habit of lying, as this will enable your addiction to start again. Be more honest not only with others but with yourself as well.
It is not uncommon for those struggling with addiction to renege on their commitments. This often plays a role in the erosion of friendships due to a lack of trust or reliability. When you are in recovery, make an effort to follow through on your commitments to show the ones you care about that you are serious about earning their trust back. Remember that this doesn’t only apply to the significant obligations but the small ones too. Your friends are more likely to come around if you show that you take the small commitments seriously, such as helping clean up after a get-together or helping someone pack to move.
Addiction feeds on negative thoughts, often causing you to engage in negative thoughts. It also provides you lies by making you feel like you are stuck, that recovery is impossible, or that you do not deserve to recover. In recovery, you can begin changing your mindset from a fixed one to a growth mindset. This means being open to the possibility of getting better and expanding your mind to become a better person. A growth mindset will involve changing those negative thoughts to more positive ones and focusing on the ways your life can improve rather than feeling like you are stuck.
Addiction can cause you to engage in negative behaviors. When you get sober, you have to put forth the effort to start partaking in more positive actions. You may not be used to this, causing it to be challenging, but it will become second nature over time. You need to remind yourself in this process to do the right thing even when it might seem difficult. When you feel pushed to lie or hide something, do the right thing to move forward in recovery.
Active addiction and treatment can take a toll on your mental health. While you may learn ways to cope and take care of your mental health while in treatment, you need to continue these practices outside of treatment. Meditate, exercise, eat right, get enough sleep, and look after your mental health to keep you on the right path. Improving your mental health will allow you to become a more positive person with a brighter outlook, encouraging others to spend time around you.
It can be easy to follow the crowd and get wrapped up in activities that negatively impact you or others. Rather than being a follower, try being a leader and showing others a good example to follow instead. This can be difficult if you are surrounded by individuals pushing you to engage in destructive behavior. However, you will thank yourself later for setting the example and taking care of your recovery first. This can show others that it is possible to change and make changes in their life for the better.
Being a good friend isn’t only about following through on your commitments. Rebuilding your friendships can take time after addiction because you may have hurt those that care about you. Show those you care about that you really mean your apologies and want them back in your life. This can be through being there for them through difficult times, giving them suggestions for improving their own lives, respecting their boundaries, and making them feel loved. Over time you will earn their trust back, and being a good friend will become second nature.
Addiction can leave you feeling like you don’t deserve recovery because you are a terrible person. It is important to remember that everyone makes mistakes, and you can improve as a person over time. Recovery is the perfect opportunity to reinvent yourself. You can start by looking at your values to see what matters most to you and then improve those areas of your life. This can include being a good friend, setting the example, being more honest, being more flexible, following through, and always doing the right thing. At treatment facilities such as Northstar Transitions, we advocate for our clients’ wellbeing by helping them become someone they are proud of. They will learn the necessary life skills and positive behaviors to help their recovery. Should you ever find yourself lacking in any areas, give us a call today at (303) 558-6400. We can help steer you in the right direction and become a better person in your recovery.
