The loved ones of addicts know all too well how hurtful and damaging the cycles of addiction can be. The addicts in our lives have caused us tremendous difficulty and harm over the years. They’ve betrayed our trust and hurt our feelings. At times they’ve angered us and even pushed us out of their lives entirely. We can have a hard time knowing if we should forgive them. How can we decide whether to rebuild the relationship or keep them at a distance? We don’t know if we should give them another chance or let them go. Should we forgive the addicts in our lives?
Choosing Healing
First of all, there is no “should” when it comes to subjects as sensitive as forgiveness. There are no absolute right or wrong answers, only what each of us decides we must do to find happiness. What works for some of us won’t necessarily work for others. With that being said, we can hold ourselves back in our healing journeys when we hold onto resentment and spite. These grudges force us to replay painful memories and relive the offending incident continually. We’re not allowing ourselves to heal and move forward. Everyone affected by addiction has to undergo a complicated healing process, even those who aren’t addicted themselves. When our loved ones have hurt us, we have our own healing process to go through. Making the decision to forgive our loved ones can open us up to healing in a way that is powerful and transformative.
Opening Our Hearts
Forgiveness carries an energy of openness and compassion. When we’re closed off to forgiveness, we close our hearts. In this way, we block our own healing by keeping the relationship in a fractured state. Resentment prevents us from finding wholeness and peace. Forgiving our loved ones means we’re acknowledging that addiction is a destructive force. It causes people to become something they’re not. Our addicted loved ones turn into another person entirely and do things they might never otherwise do. Having forgiveness means we’re choosing understanding and empathy. When we forgive, we give our loved ones the gift of our openheartedness. Likewise, we give ourselves the gift of peace of mind that is much harder to attain when we’re closed to forgiveness.
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.
Call 855-483-7800 today for more information.
theguesthouseocala.com
3230 Northeast 55th Avenue Silver Springs, FL 34488