Talking About Negative Experiences in Recovery
Experiences in Recovery and Talking About Them
It would be so easy to fight against addiction if you could just wake up one day and say, “I quit,” and be in recovery. No doubt you have tried hundreds of times, and like many others, you couldn’t. We know that our life would be so much better if we could just stop. Why is it so hard to stop the behaviors that cause us so much harm? It’s because recovery isn’t easy, and talking about negative experiences in recovery is especially difficult. It’s a never-ending battle. Addiction isn’t just about the behaviors you engage in; it is a multi-faceted mental health disorder. Despite knowing that your actions cause you great harm, your disordered brain compels you to continue regardless.
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Your Mental Health and Recovery
Negative experiences affect your recovery efforts. Overwhelming grief, injury, and emotional stress all contribute to negative recovery experiences. Talking about negative experiences in recovery creates realistic perspectives. Positive experiences are important, but the negative ones can be just as influential in recovery. Recovery is a life long journey full of ups and downs. Negative experience is important to talk about because they serve as references to draw upon during the hard times. You will encounter tough times during recovery. You may even feel like giving up somedays. Recovery is a personal journey. Whatever brought you to addiction treatment is a part of your story, whether it is negative positive. You are not the same person after addiction.
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Resisting Change in Recovery
A common reason why people have negative experiences in recovery is the resistance to change. When you refuse to participate in your treatment you become stuck in recovery and begin to feel more negative about the experience. Instead of dealing with the issues and making the change, you continue to turn to unhealthy behaviors to avoid accountability. This only complicates recovery and makes sobriety seem even more impossible. When it gets harder to manage, it become easier to relapse.
Expecting the Worse
Withdrawal is often the number one reason why addicts refuse treatment. They often become preoccupied with an exaggerated fear of the negative symptoms during recovery. It is more common that you will only experience mild flu-like symptoms. Regardless of the symptoms you may experience, Resurgence Behavioral Health offers medical detoxing that makes this process much more comfortable. Plus, you are surrounded by amazing amenities and beautiful spaces.
Finding the Silver Lining
It would be nice to live in a world of unicorns and magic, it would make being positive much easier. Unfortunately, terrible things happen, and how we respond to these events that affect recovery. The difference between positive and negative thinkers isn’t so much about what we think, but how they respond. If you’re a negative thinker in recovery, recovery can seem like a heavyweight on your shoulders, keeping you stuck in one place emotionally. Resurgence Behavioral Health offers innovative therapies that help you confront these emotions. We blend holistic practice and evidence-based treatment focused on your needs.
Fighting Back Against Shame in Recovery
Shame is an unpleasant emotion to work through. Releasing negative judgments is a significant step in forgiving yourself and thinking more positively. Breaking the shame cycle in recovery is important. Knowing how to confront your feelings of shame can help you reach your recovery goals. It’s important to be positive about yourself. You’re not alone in the emotional struggle of shame, it is often a recurrent theme with negative recovery experiences. It may take a long time to realize that you’re a human being who makes mistakes.
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Negative Though Pattens
If you tend to have a glass-half-full perspective, Resurgence Behavioral Health can help you recognize negative thought patterns. When you can identify the patterns, you can begin changing them. These negative thought patterns are called cognitive distortions. Common distortions that people experience in recovery are:
- Polarized Thinking- This is a type of cognitive distortion, if it is not perfect, it means nothing. You tend to think in only absolute terms, using words like, never or ever. People who think all of nothing think of themselves as either being successful or a failure.
- Disqualifying the positives- This distortion traps you into never acknowledging that good outcomes are based on your hard work and dedication. Instead, you will explain it away as a fluke or some anomaly.
- Negative Labeling- When something negative inevitably happens, you automatically label yourself as a failure. Instead of moving forward to learn from the event, you stay stuck with the negative label.
- Catastrophizing- You dread or assume the worst outcome when faced with an unknown variable. This cognitive distortion can escalate anxiety. Others may not be sympathetic. They believe that the overreaction is unwarranted. However, if you experienced chronic pain or childhood trauma, this thinking is an unhealthy behavior that served to protect you emotionally.
Be the Change You Want to See
When you are in recovery you can open up emotionally. By expressing yourself aloud, you can start changing the negative thoughts and replace them with healthy ones. Once you can move past the cognitive distortions you can move forward in your recovery. Recovery is different for everyone. What you learned will not be the same as another. The biggest take away after addiction treatment is you do have the ability to change. Recover after addiction treatment isn’t easy at first. Taking the lessons, you learned and applying them to your life will take practice. The longer you stay in recovery, it will become easier. Finding the positives every day is easier with time.
Keep Looking Ahead
Talking about negative experiences is an important part of recovery because negative experiences strengthen your recovery. When you have an intense craving or experiencing moments of weakness, drawing upon all the reasons why you choose to get clean is your reason to stay sober. Remembering the difficulties of detoxing is beneficial for you when you experience triggers. Staying sober after rehab is something that you have to fight for every day. Triggers will lessen over time. When you find yourself ruminating on past behaviors think of all the positives that recovery brings.
After-Care Programs
This is what recovery is all about, living your life and learning how to navigate through negative life events without turning to substance abuse. Sobriety doesn’t mean life is always easy. Resurgence Behavioral Health is here for you when you need that extra support. Often after addiction treatment ends you may still need ongoing care. This is normal. Addiction isn’t something that just goes away magically. Aftercare support groups are great for those who are ready to manage most of their recovery but still need some help and guidance regularly. Being able to talk about your negative experiences in recovery can help you move forward with a fresh outlook.
Think Positive, Be Positive
If you are desperately struggling with your negative experiences Resurgence Behavioral Health wants to support your recovery efforts. Negative emotions can complicate your treatment. Dealing with negative emotions in recovery is something that every recovering addict experiences. How you choose to deal with them is up to you. Change is never an easy feat to accomplish. Recovery is about learning to accept what qualities you don’t have and wake up every morning feeling good enough.
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Lasting Recovery at Resurgence
Addiction doesn’t just go away without a fight. When you’re ready to face the battle give us a call. You don’t have to do it alone. We are waiting to help you at every step, supporting and providing the best care. We offer numerous treatments to help you recover from addiction. From intense inpatient care to sober living, and every in between. We sincerely believe that is possible to recover from addiction. Resurgences offers the very best evidence-based treatment along with supportive and knowledgeable staff. We accept most major insurances. We offer a free online insurance verification tool that can get you started towards recovery.
