Those who have struggled with addiction and go through recovery experience lots of emotions. Feeling guilt and shame after struggling with an addiction is common for many people. Since recovery is difficult and isn’t linear, some individuals may feel shame if they falter on their journey. If you are feeling shame and guilt, there are ways to overcome these emotions while moving forward with hope. 

Understanding Guilt And Shame

Before you can tackle your emotions, it can be helpful to better understand what they mean and how they make you feel. Guilt and shame are two emotions that are used interchangeably. The key difference is that guilt involves feelings and judgments about past actions, whereas shame involves feelings and judgments about who you are. 

People feel guilty for their past mistakes or those who they may have hurt. Shame is a self-reflection and may include thoughts like “I am a bad person,” or “I’m worthless.” Shame could make us feel unworthy of love or respect. These feelings can impede your progress if you let them control your life.

1- Acknowledge Your Emotions

Ignoring your feelings and emotions is not the best way to heal from them. Acknowledging what you feel and working to understand how it affects your daily processes will help you heal. Recognize that you can feel these emotions and others will not judge you. Often the intrusive thoughts that come with shame are not facts. 

Acknowledging emotions can be done by journaling about them and dumping all of your feelings onto a page, or speaking with a trusted individual. Therapy might also be helpful if you want to reframe the feelings around your addiction. 

2- Seek Support From Others

Those in recovery often seek the help of support groups, therapists, or accountability partners. Seeking moral support from other people can help reduce the thoughts of shame around your healing journey. Recovery support groups will help you hear other stories from those who are in the thick of addiction recovery. These chats can help everyone feel less alone while allowing you to learn about methods that work for others. Support from friends and family may not always be helpful, so it is ok to seek advice from a therapist or sponsor as well. 

3- Focus On Personal Growth 

Worrying about what others think of you can set you back on your recovery journey. If you are feeling shame, it can be helpful to focus on the personal growth you have made. Try methods like affirmations or mindfulness to provide your brain with tangible examples of how far you have come. 

Feeling accomplished can help reduce feelings of shame. If you want to continue making good progress, set achievable goals and celebrate your small successes. Even if it takes you longer to complete your goals, keeping a positive mindset will help motivate you along the way. 

4- Build Healthy Relationships

During addiction, you may have lost friends or damaged relationships that you previously had. After rehab and during the recovery process, it is valid to feel guilt over the hurt you have caused those in your life. Make amends with those in your life who were around during your addiction to help with the feelings of guilt. 

Going forward, you can navigate better relationships on your sober journey. Building new friendships and partnerships can be daunting, but if they are built on a healthy foundation, it could help your recovery journey. Friendships are important for everyone, especially when you are dealing with the emotions that come after addiction. 

5- Accept Your Past, Actions, And Yourself

Guilt and shame often come from thoughts of your past. We have all done things that we regret, especially if your addiction causes harm to others or you are a bad partner. After recovery, you will need to do the work to accept your past and move forward in a better light. Forgiving yourself can be a long process, but making this a priority will make you feel fewer complicated emotions. 

Addiction Recovery From Red Willow Counseling And Recovery

Red Willow offers counseling and recovery services for those in Utah. Our team has professional training and practices evidence-based therapies to ensure our clients get the best help possible. No matter your struggles, seeking professional help is a sign of strength. We are proud to help those with mental illness, addictions, substance abuse, and more. Call our Salt Lake or Park City location to start on your journey to bettering yourself.

Dry January is a popular movement that promotes being more conscious of your drinking and reflecting on your relationship with alcohol. While recreational drinking can be ok for most responsible adults, taking a step back from the substance could provide you with a better lifestyle. If you attempted to go through January without a drink of alcohol but you slipped up or were not able to stick to it, there are ways you can get back into it. An unsuccessful dry January doesn’t mean you are a terrible person or are incapable of adopting sober habits. Here are some tips to help you bounce back with confidence and find a successful sober lifestyle. 

Revisit Your Why

Ask yourself why you started dry January in the first place. Revisiting your why for taking a step toward sobriety will help you reignite your initial motivation. Reassessing your relationship with alcohol and writing down your reasons can help you stick to your dry habit. 

Keep your goals and reasons in a visible place where you can reference them easily. Keep them on your phone, put a sticky note on your mirror, or set reminders on your calendar to keep you motivated. An unsuccessful dry January or failure to meet your goals the first time shouldn’t put you off from ever trying again.

Reflect Without Judgement

It is perfectly ok to reflect back on your January with sadness, however, reflecting on what went wrong can help provide insight going forward. Reflect on the past month and notice if there were specific triggers that pushed you to drink or other events that made it hard to abstain. Start a journal with your thoughts about your past struggles and identify areas where you can do better next time. Keep this journal accessible and look back at your entries when you feel pressure to drink. 

Explore Alternative Habits

Alcohol can fill a social and emotional void for many people, which makes it hard to give up when it feels more personal. If giving up alcohol cold turkey can be extremely difficult, so it may be helpful to try alternative habits first. Some ideas to try include experimenting with mocktails, joining a fitness club or yoga class, or scheduling more sober events. While these activities don’t revolve around being sober, they can help you in a nonconscious way, reap the benefits of sobriety. Building more healthy habits will help your brain be able to form other ones going forward.

Start Again

No written rule says you can’t try a dry month at any point of the year. Even if you struggled to stay consistent during the month of January, you can try again in February or March. You don’t have to wait another year to take a break from alcohol, you can start over at any time and on your own terms.  A successful dry month will fit your personal lifestyle and help you improve your overall well-being. 

Celebrate Any Progress

Any step you take toward better health and wellness is worthwhile. Even small progress will be a step in the right direction. If you are someone who struggles with perfection and wants to complete your goals quickly, starting over may not seem like a win. Becoming more aware of your drinking habits and how alcohol affects your body is an achievement worth celebrating. 

If you are struggling to see any positives in your sobriety journey, here are some milestones worth celebrating.

• Saying no to a drink at a social event
• Attending a support group
• Quitting other harmful habits
• Managing your anxiety or depression without alcohol
• Reaching out for help
• Completing a treatment program
• Going a day without craving alcohol
• New or improved relationships
• Time milestones without alcohol (1 day, 30 days, 6 months, etc.)

Help From The Team At Red Willow

Red Willow Counseling And Recovery offers helpful resources and treatment programs for those struggling with alcohol. Even if you don’t have an addiction to alcohol, there is still help to be found from a recovery facility. Red Willow focuses on mental health and addiction recovery practices to help improve the overall well-being of our community. We provide effective therapy for diverse clients in Salt Lake City and Park City. Red Willow uses competence, compassion, and collaboration in all of our treatments. If you want some extra support on your sober journey, reach out to us to get started!

After rehab, it can be difficult to return to an old environment and risk bad habits after the work you have put in. No matter the age, returning to work or school after rehab can bring up complex emotions and lead to peer pressure. Once you are out of rehab and feel ready to jump back into a routine, here are the things we suggest to make the transition as smooth as possible. 

The availability of drugs and more peer pressure from social media has made more high school and college students become exposed to illegal drugs. Developing a substance abuse problem at any age will cause physical, mental, and social consequences for the future. Taking the step to be a better member of society and take back control of your life is a worthy feat. 

1- Make New Friends (Sober Ones)

If you do return to the same workplace or school, you should focus on finding friends and peers who are willing to support your sobriety. After entering rehab, you may have experienced your old group of friends feeling rejected or slighted. Other addicts will not always be comfortable with sober friends, so finding a new supportive group will help you continue to resist substances.

If you are starting at a new job or new University, making new friends can be intimidating. However, being honest about your past and being your true self around new people will help you gain a solid group of friends. If making friends is intimidating, you may be able to join a club at the school that interests you. For older working adults, find a gym class or community groups that meet regularly. You can invite co-workers or classmates to attend with you. 

2- Don’t Rush

Jumping back into society may feel like the next step in your sober journey. Many recovering addicts rush into new things and the temptations of the world catch up to them quickly. After your rehab treatment is over, you should continue to meet with a sober group or peer support group as you transition to a new life. 

Returning to work or school too soon could reverse some of the progress you made during a program. It is ok to take time away from these stressful environments while you learn to cope with stress without substances. There is no strict timeline on when teens or adults should return to work or school. Use your discretion or speak with a therapist to determine the best course of action. Take your time in making your decision. 

3- Find A Good Work-Life Balance

After rehab or another sober program, you will need to learn to better manage your time and stress levels. Even though you may want to accomplish new goals, you should remember to take care of yourself too. Some ways to achieve a healthy work-life balance include:

• Taking advantage of PTO and sick days
• Finding a hobby you enjoy outside of work
• Not answering emails or phone calls after work hours
• Relaxing and unwinding after work
• Practicing self-care
• Designating spots in your home for working vs. relaxing

Once you are done with work, you should be able to focus on other tasks. Finding a hobby like reading, exercising, gaming, writing, drawing, or woodworking can help you occupy your mind when temptation may be high. Those in recovery often throw themselves into work to avoid being tempted to participate in drugs or alcohol, but this can be toxic as well.

4- Meet With A Support Group Or With A Campus Counselor

Seeking outside support is always a good option after being in rehab. Meeting with a therapist, attending a sober group, or another group session facilitated by a professional can help you stick with more healthy habits. This is also a great space to ask questions, share experiences, and work through challenges without feeling alone. Many of us struggle with a lot of the same emotions and shortcomings. It can be beneficial to recovering addicts and others to hear similar concerns from others. 

If you are trying to return to the workforce, ask your HR department about AA meetings or recovery groups around the office. Or schedule recurring therapy appointments with a psychologist bi-weekly. 

If you are wanting to return to school, check with the high school or university counseling center to see what appointments they have for you. With so many students, you may not be able to attend as frequently as you want, but these counselors will understand the unique school you attend. 

Schools can also provide additional resources like quiet study areas, sober areas on campus, or meetings with professors to discuss your concerns on substances or campus drug issues. Being aware of potential temptations will help you avoid them when a hairy situation arises.

5- Be Open To Alternatives

Sometimes, returning to work or school may not be in your best interest. There could be too many temptations or others who want to reduce your progress. Younger students may want to seek out an alternative high school or homeschooling. These options reduce the risk of running into old friends who could elicit bad habits. 

While going back to a job you already know is more comfortable, that setting may not be healthy or may not welcome you back. Be open to looking at different industries or a lower-paying position until you can figure out your new healthy routine.

Recovery Options From Red Willow

Red Willow Counseling And Recovery offers individual counseling, group therapy, intensive outpatient programs, and other addiction resources. Our team of therapists and specialists are here to help you on any step of your recovery journey. No matter what addiction you struggle with, we can help provide you with resources during your recovery and after! Reach out to our Salt Lake or Park City location to learn more about all the offerings we can provide for you.