Our addictions and mental health issues cause us to become self-hating, insecure and self-doubting, particularly if we’ve been dealing with them for many years. We lose our sense of self to the overwhelming, debilitating, paralyzing nature of our illnesses. We feel consumed by fear, sadness and shame that totally deplete our confidence and self-esteem. We feel as though we don’t recognize ourselves anymore or even know who we are. We don’t feel connected to our purpose, our truth, our inner selves, or our higher power. We’ve forgotten what we love about ourselves and everything we have to be grateful for about who we are.
Discovering who we are is a process that takes time and won’t happen overnight. It’s a practice of growing our self-love, and of intentionally working to accept and appreciate ourselves. It’s about consciously looking at the things we don’t like about ourselves, the things we reject, the things we’re ashamed of, disappointed in and embarrassed about, and choosing to love ourselves anyway. We want to give time and effort to actively thinking about what it is we love about ourselves and direct our energy towards those things more than we do the things we’re unhappy about.
We all have gifts and strengths, whether we consciously know what they are or not. Some of us only have to look back at our childhoods to remember all of the talents we possess. Others of us will have to dig deep and do a lot of self-reflection to explore what our passions are, what makes us look forward in life, and what we might be good at. Don’t give up on yourself if you don’t know or remember what your talents are yet. You will discover them, and when you do, you’ll open yourself up to being able to fulfill your purpose in beautiful and unique ways. You’ll be able to be at peace with yourself knowing you’re cultivating your own joy and not wasting your limitless potential.
We all have things to be grateful for in ourselves, things to admire, respect and appreciate. Maybe you’re a good friend, reliable, kind and loyal to your loved ones. Maybe you’re a gifted writer and able to express yourself in special ways. Maybe you have a talent for public speaking. Maybe you love to travel and can use your goal of traveling more often to motivate you in your sobriety. Finding things we love about ourselves is part of the work of healing ourselves and achieving the transformation that leads to meaningful recovery.
At The Guest House Ocala, our recovery programs include many experiential modalities including traditional therapy, conscious connected breathwork, equine therapy, somatic experiencing, art in healing, grief therapy, mindfulness and other forms of therapy. Call 855-483-7800 today for more information.