A huge part of our healing journey involves taking a deeper look at how we’ve been self-sabotaging in our lives. Our self-destructiveness is often subconscious, meaning it’s below our conscious awareness. To gain a thorough understanding of our behaviors, we want to do some self-examination and reflection. Through introspection, we may discover how our pain has manifested in our experience. There are countless ways in which we self-sabotage, particularly when we’re struggling with emotional health challenges. Becoming more familiar with these behaviors can help us develop more insight into our own individual self-sabotaging tendencies.
Our Addictive Patterns
Our addictive patterns are some of the more obvious and overt self-sabotaging behaviors we engage in every day. We use our drugs of choice to help us manage our feelings rather than developing healthy emotional coping skills. In turn, these substances became a dangerous source of comfort, solace, and companionship. We rely upon them to help us relax, to make us feel more confident, and to drown out our painful thoughts and feelings. Addictions are typically an outgrowth of our tendency towards self-destruction. Behind our addiction, we’ll often discover unhealed trauma and unresolved emotional issues.
Our Resistance to Support
Another less obvious way we self-sabotage is by refusing help for our addictions when people reach out to us. We might consider going to rehab or participating in support groups but then decide against it because of our internal self-sabotage. We might even reject the guidance and wisdom of concerned loved ones or recovering addicts because we’re in denial and don’t want to confront the truth about our addictions. Keeping our addictions a secret from the people in our lives is its own form of self-sabotage.
Our Relationships
Another major way in which we self-sabotage is in the relationships we choose. Many of us have a hard time letting go of the relationships that enable and facilitate our addictions, that support our drug use and our self-destructive behaviors. We prioritize the people that make it easiest for us to continue to use while pushing away the people who have our best interests at heart. Unfortunately, these are the people who might best be able to support us in our recovery.
At The Guest House Ocala, we are uniquely equipped to help our guests heal from trauma-induced substance abuse and process addictions in a safe, comfortable, and confidential setting. Call 855-483-7800 today for more information on our treatment programs and break the cycle of self-sabotage.