Those of us struggling with addiction are no strangers to feeling defeated, disheartened, lost and confused. We feel disappointed in ourselves, ashamed, regretful and remorseful. We feel so down on ourselves we feel like giving up. We’ve lost hope. We find it impossible to be positive let alone have faith in ourselves or our recovery. We find our depression, anxiety and mental health issues worsening over time and causing us even more distress. Our addictive patterns might become exacerbated, and we notice ourselves using more than usual to cope with how painful our feelings of defeat can be. If you’re feeling defeated, don’t give up. Remember that these are transient feelings that will pass, and that eventually you will be able to rekindle your hope, your optimism and your faith.
We feel defeated when we’re not making as much progress in our recovery as we would like. We feel defeated when we don’t meet our own expectations, when we feel as though we’ve let ourselves and others down, when we feel we haven’t lived up to our potential. We feel defeated when we relapse, when we’re triggered by something we thought we had moved past, when we fall back into a pattern we thought we had extricated ourselves from. It’s normal, natural and common to feel defeated. Feeling defeated and then coming back from it are part of the recovery process. Learning to cope with our difficult feelings such as hopelessness and defeat is half the battle of recovering from our addictions. Whereas we used to turn to our drugs of choice to numb the pain of these feelings, our recovery is now asking us to explore the deeper meanings behind that pain, to face it, and to move through it.
Very often feeling defeated is a sign that there is a deeper source of pain within us we haven’t been facing or addressing. When we feel defeated and want to give up, it is often because we are suffering from mental and emotional distress and haven’t found healthy ways to cope with it. Let’s look at the other thoughts and emotions we’re struggling with aside from feeling defeated, hopeless and lost. Chances are there are other things bothering us, creating internal conflict and turmoil, and consuming us with confusion and angst. We might be dealing with tough life circumstances, problems we can’t seem to resolve, or intense relationship issues. We might be dwelling on the past, unable to let it go. We might be having a hard time forgiving ourselves for past mistakes and wrongdoings. Let’s explore the reasons why we’re in so much pain, pain that is contributing to our feeling defeated. When we’re able to do this, we give ourselves a fighting chance at recovering from our addictions and finding happiness and inner peace.
At The Guest House Ocala, we have personal recovery experience and over 12 years in the recovery industry. We have helped countless people recover, and we’re here to help you too. Call 855-483-7800 today for more information.