If you’re struggling with thoughts of suicide, PLEASE call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Part of our ongoing work in recovery is making sure we’re not still carrying limiting beliefs within us that don’t serve us. For many of us, these beliefs have become so ingrained in us that we’re not conscious of them. They become second nature to us and fuel the recurring thought patterns that we return to over and over again by default. We’re not aware when we’re acting on these limiting beliefs, nor are we conscious of the fact that we’re manifesting everything in our lives with the energy we’ve created from those beliefs. Our recovery process is inviting us to be extra mindful of which beliefs we’re practicing and perpetuating unconsciously that don’t serve us, and which ones we want to reinforce and bolster with our energy and our belief so that these can become our default ways of thinking instead.
Beliefs Around Inadequacy, Unworthiness and Inferiority
Some of our most common limiting beliefs have to do with not feeling good enough. Our fears of inadequacy, unworthiness and inferiority create these beliefs within us, and the more we think them over and over again, the more solidified in our consciousness they become. We constantly doubt ourselves and our self-worth. We downplay our accomplishments and mentally, emotionally and verbally belittle ourselves. We become skeptical about our chances of being able to keep ourselves sober. We have felt for much of our lives that we were unlovable and unworthy, undeserving of happiness and success. We fear we’re inferior to other people, and this fear can manifest as jealousy, envy, competitiveness, bitterness and resentment. These beliefs we’re carrying can cause us to be deeply insecure, self-hating and self-rejecting, all of which can energetically detract from our progress in recovery. We convince ourselves we won’t be able to recover, so we sabotage ourselves. Once we do get sober, we doubt we’ll be able to maintain our sobriety, so we subconsciously look for ways to knock ourselves off track. We speak down to ourselves and think ill of ourselves. We don’t accept compliments or praise well, even when they’re well-deserved. We shut people out, thinking we’re undeserving of love. We don’t seek out help when we need it most because we fear being judged as weak, vulnerable and inadequate. We don’t forgive ourselves for our mistakes because we don’t feel we deserve forgiveness and compassion. We judge ourselves and beat ourselves up, inundating ourselves relentlessly with guilt and shame.
Beliefs Around Sobriety
When we are self-deprecating, the ways in which we view ourselves, and the negative light through which we perceive ourselves, extend outward to the rest of the world, to our lives in general, and to sobriety in particular. We come to believe not only that sobriety is impossible, but that our efforts are in vain. We feel silly doing the work, believing full well we won’t succeed. We look down on ourselves for being addicts and anyone else trying to get sober. We see the world as a cold, harsh, unforgiving place. We don’t see the abundance of love and support that surrounds us. Instead of choosing to see the positivity that abounds, we focus on negativity, and this becomes our perspective. Sobriety becomes a useless endeavor. Recovery becomes futile. We give up trying. We stop pushing ourselves. We don’t see the point, and for many of us, this contributes to a sense of hopelessness and defeat that can cause us to discontinue our efforts altogether. We feel so disappointed in ourselves, and in the recovery process as a whole, that we no longer want to give it our best effort. This can extend past our recovery and into our lives as a whole, and we can find ourselves searching for meaning in life that we become convinced is no longer there. We can become suicidal, telling ourselves we’ll never fulfill our purpose or find happiness. This can be a sad, scary, confusing and overwhelming place to be, and when we give up on ourselves, not only do we impede our recovery, but we also hinder our mental and emotional health. Our depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and other mental health issues can be compounded and worsened. Our chances of ever getting better appear more and more grim to us, and sobriety seems unachievable.
Stifled Personal Evolution
These beliefs limit us, constrict us and keep us small. They keep us from stepping into our full potential. They keep us from pushing ourselves, from growing, expanding and learning. They keep us from the self-development that is necessary for our evolution. They keep us from accessing our true inner power, and they keep us trapped in cycles of self-destructiveness. Until we heal from these beliefs at their root, we might always continue to repeat the same patterns of self-sabotage and self-destructiveness.
Examining Our Limiting Beliefs
Our limiting beliefs not only don’t serve us, they contribute exponentially to our suffering. We want to address our beliefs head on by looking at them closely, openly and honestly, rather than avoiding and running from them as we tend to do with our addictive patterns. We want to examine how they are impacting our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. We want to investigate where they originated. Were they the result of childhood trauma? Are we holding onto unkind, abusive things people have told us? Are they the manifestations of the insecurities we’ve developed over the years and have yet to heal? The more we confront our limiting beliefs directly, the more we take our power back, and we give ourselves the space to direct our thoughts and feelings in ways that are healthier for us, thereby creating beliefs that serve and empower us moving forward.
At The Guest House Ocala, you will be treated with dignity, respect and compassion.
Call 855-483-7800 today for more information on our treatment programs.
theguesthouseocala.com
3230 Northeast 55th Avenue Silver Springs, FL 34488