You probably thought that once you worked through your active addiction, you would immediately be free of that voice in your head saying to use your substance of choice. The voice that constantly said you were not good enough, did not deserve a better life, or could not reach the goals you always wanted. You worked extremely hard to face your addiction. You worked on your trauma and mental health and learned the skills needed to face your challenges. However, you probably have learned that you still have work to do.
You may still struggle with that annoying voice inside your head telling you that you are unworthy of this new and healthy life that you have chosen. Here are a few simple tips for silencing that voice and continuing with your sobriety and healthy lifestyle.
Write a Letter to the Voice
One great activity is to write a letter to the voice in your head. Grab an actual pen and paper and write. Write about how addiction changed your life. Write about how much you have learned, have grown, and how you achieve your goals. Tell that voice inside of your head that you no longer believe what it says. You know how great you are doing, how worthy you are of change, and how strong your support system is. Writing a letter can be a powerful exercise. It can remind you that you hold the power over your life.
Free Yourself From the Past
When we hold onto the past, that voice in our head has more power. It can easily make us feel trapped in our old life. When we faced an active addiction, we made choices that now don’t make us feel proud. We said things that we wish we hadn’t. Working through that past is a key part of our recovery. You probably began to do this in treatment. Remembering that the work does not end just because we are no longer facing an active addiction is vital. Freeing yourself from your past takes most people many years and a lot of practice. Few people can simply release their personal history and move forward with little effort. That effort may be tough and exhausting, but it is so worth it.
Accept Your Past and Be Grateful for the Future
When we can accept our past for what it is, we can be thankful for our future. When we were experiencing active addiction, our future probably looked less bright. We probably did not have many long-term goals because we were so focused on our addiction. Our future was that addiction. This is no longer the case. The voice of addiction inside of our heads may still be there. It may still try to tell us that our future will still be an addiction and that we are not worthy or capable of a different future. Learning to turn that voice off is going to be important for some people. Understanding that what the voice says is not valid will be important for others.
Take the time to pause and be thankful for the future ahead of you. You faced an addiction head-on, did the hard work, and focused on everything that once hurt you. It was not always easy and not always fun. Now that you are leading a life of sobriety and continuing to work through your long-term recovery, you can have the future you always wanted. That pesky voice in your head telling you that you are not capable of a future apart from addiction will slowly quiet down and go away as you gain confidence in yourself and your actions.
Share Your Story
Sharing your story will help you to realize how far you have come. It can be easy to forget how scared you were taking that first step into treatment or how nervous you were when you meet with a therapist the first time. When we share our story and acknowledge where we started, it can open our eyes to the journey we have taken. You have taken some huge steps and made great strides toward changing your future. Never forget how far you have come. You may feel like you have a considerable amount of work ahead of you; just remember that we all have work to do on ourselves. We all have a past to understand better, and we all should have goals to work towards.
After facing an active addiction, you may find that you still have an annoying voice inside your head that tells you that you are not worthy of a life outside of addiction. The voice may tell you that addiction or trauma will still engulf your future. Learning to tune that voice out and work towards not hearing it is an integral part of recovery. As you journey forward in recovery and a life of sobriety, you will gain confidence in your choices and your ability to live life without your substance of choice. Continuing to work on yourself even after addiction is important and necessary for most people. Here at The Guest House, we know that many people need continued support even after they are no longer facing an active addiction. We are ready to support you in any way that you need. Call us today to learn more about our different treatment options at (855) 483-7800.