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Our Lost Sense of Self

For those of us struggling with addiction, figuring out who we are can feel like an impossible challenge. We feel like there’s no way we can love or be comfortable with ourselves when we’re dealing with the pain of addiction. Addiction teaches us that we’ll never be happy, confident, or secure with ourselves. Instead, we live with shame, remorse, and regret for the mistakes we’ve made related to our addictive patterns. We start to see ourselves as bad people, becoming increasingly disconnected from our true selves. We just haven’t found ourselves yet.

 

We Create False Illusions

Our dependence on substances can create all kinds of illusions around what our identity really is. For some of us, our need to create illusions about ourselves and who we are is one of the reasons why we become dependent on our drug of choice in the first place. We can feel more at peace with ourselves when we’re using. Our drug of choice makes us feel more confident and leaves us believing that people only like us when we’re inebriated. The new personas we create for ourselves are fun-loving, outgoing, and carefree. Being high or drunk lets us escape our inner turmoil. We can safely avoid figuring ourselves out. Our drug of choice enables us to avoid doing the work of self-reflection and introspection that is needed to become whole and emotionally secure. 

We Lose Our Identities

For much of our lives, we haven’t given ourselves a chance to get to know who we are without an addictive crutch to help us cope with our difficult thoughts and feelings. We aren’t developing a self-identity that is independent of our addiction. We’ve built the foundation for our self-identity upon the shifting terrain of our addiction. In turn, drugs or alcohol have dictated how we’re perceived by other people, and how we perceive ourselves. We can feel like entirely different people when we’re under the influence. Our loved ones may tell us they don’t know this side of us, and it scares them.

Recovery is Reconnecting with Self

At the root of addiction recovery work, and healing from any mental or emotional health challenge is the process of self-determination. We’re determining who we are and what we want to become. The process of recovery teaches us to shed our dependence on anything harmful to us. We’re learning to love and accept ourselves unconditionally while working on ourselves. Our goal is to change, improve, and expand our lives. We’re finding ourselves, which is actually the process of reconnecting with who we are, deep down, underneath the layers of self-destructiveness. Through sobriety and recovery, we can free the true version of ourselves, which has been buried for so long.

The Guest House is a welcoming and supportive recovery home where you will be met with open arms, wherever you are on your journey, without judgment or expectation. Get to know yourself a little better and discover a new way to live, free of addiction. Call 855-483-7800 today for more information.