While you are recovering from addiction
and working the 12 steps, you will learn new ways to express
yourself. After all, some of the 12 steps revolve around
communicating with others. While you strengthen and transform parts
of your life, you can also become a more effective communicator.
Here's what you need to know about communication during this time of
your life.
One of the first things you need to
know about recovery is that it's okay to have needs and express them.
Identifying what will help you stay sober and communicating that to
those who want to help can empower you to have a successful
recovery.
Also, be open about what isn't helpful.
You may not always have things go your way. You may tell your sponsor
that you don't want to work on a step anymore, yet they may insist
you do. However, being open about it can lead to finding out what is
beneath the initial resistance.
In recovery, it's the truth that really
does empower you to feel free. Start by being honest with yourself.
This might take some time to really embrace as a habit, but it will
feel so good when you do. Next, make it a practice to be honest with
all the people in your life.
While it can be easy to lie to oneself
and feel good about a lie to protect someone's feelings, they will
probably learn the truth eventually anyway. In fact, the truth can
help them realize they need to change something about themselves or
their behaviors. It's always kinder to tell the truth even though a
lie may be more convenient for the moment.
Truth is especially important for
someone in recovery. Lying is not an option while working the twelve
steps. They'll require a moral inventory that will take a great deal
of inner searching that won't work if you're trying to deceive
yourself or others. Also, being honest is easier and simpler than
also trying to juggle lies during recovery.
The truth isn't always comfortable, so
you may not always be happy with how people respond to you while
you're in recovery. That's okay because it's a part of the process
and the progress you're making. Also, the communication you receive
from your family won't always be about showing you their support. Be
prepared for your close loved ones to air grievances while you're in
recovery.
Ultimately, though, the twelve steps
will prepare you to deal with the harm that was caused by the
addiction. As the issues come up and your loved ones address the past
hurts with you, you may feel closer to them than you ever did before.
The benefit of radical honesty during your recovery is that it can
create a deeper level of intimacy with those you love.
Many people, of course, will reach out
because of genuine concern, but some people may simply want fodder
for gossip. If you don't feel comfortable sharing information with
someone who has reached out, stand strong in the knowledge that you
don't owe explanations to anyone.
If you want to respond to someone but
don't want them knowing what's going on, simply tell them that you
are taking some time to handle a personal matter. You may add that
you appreciate their respect for your privacy at this time. That
touch is likely to prevent them from following up with more
questions. If they do, simply ignoring them should make your message
even clearer.
Finally, addiction is a disease that
can own and control those who have it until they are able to stand up
for themselves and their right to freedom from its grip. If you are
struggling with addiction, you are not alone, and you don't have to
face it by yourself. Contact Oak
Harbor
today to speak to a caring member of our team about how
you can get started on your recovery today.
