The Power of Forgiveness in Addiction Recovery

One component to an addiction recovery program is a concentrate on the power of forgiveness and how it is an important part of the recovery process. Forgiveness in alcohol and drug addiction recovery is as significant as all other facets of rehab treatment, because learning to forgive yourself is vital to the ability of being able to move forward with your life in a positive and productive manner.

Dysfunctional Relationships

In substance use, all of your energies are spent on activities that make you responsible for pain and suffering to others by your words and actions. Your relationships were damaged, some of them perhaps irrevocably so. You may have created financial distress to your family and friends, your work relationships were destroyed, not to mention the physical, psychological and emotional harm you inflicted upon yourself.

Feelings of Resentment

Perhaps you are harboring intense feelings of resentment towards your loved ones, friends and colleagues for not responding to you the way you felt they should have or needed. If you suffered the loss of your home, career or your family as a result of your drug abuse; you could have some unresolved anger that needs to be dealt with before you can move on.

Shame and Guilt

Holding onto feelings of shame, resentment, hurt and guilt will only prevent you from being able to get past your situation and circumstances and can actually be a stumbling block keeping you from achieving your goal of sobriety. Studies reveal that not being able to let go of the past, accept it and move on, is one of the leading contributors to individuals returning to their drug addictions.

Emotionally and Mentally Ready to Forgive

Although faith-based groups speak of and practice forgiveness; forgiveness is really an emotional and mental state of mind and heart. Forgiveness is a conscious effort: you will yourself to forgive. This practice is not always so easy to do, but it can be done. Holding a grudge against someone for something you think they have done to you or against you does not help you get better and move one. If anything, holding onto resentment will eat away inside you and work you into a knot that many times will cause you to go looking for something to ease the discomfort such as drugs. Letting go of your bitterness and learning to forgive will help you get on with your life.

Once you make the decision to forgive, it is important that you also let go of the checklist in your head of all the people you have wronged and who have wronged you, and forgive yourself as well. Holding onto the list will only create an obstacle to your progress. You now have a clean slate to move forward and focus on your new life.