One of the first things we learn recovery is that addiction is an illness and because of it, we lost control of certain parts of our lives. Still, we must take responsibility for the things we did in our lives of active addiction. It seems contradictory. Either we are sick and not responsible or we are not sick and we are responsible. We can’t have it both ways. The truth is, we can have it both ways. Addiction is a disease and, in order to recover effectively, we have to own our behaviors and do what we can to mend the wounds. It is possible for two seemingly opposite things to be true at the same time, that opposites can balance each other.
Addiction as an Illness
There are many studies that conclusively show that addiction changes we think, how we see the world and how we make decisions. The problem some people might have with this is that by defining addiction as a disease, we have no control over our addiction and if we have no control over our addiction then we have no control over our recovery either.
What these people don’t understand is that when we enter sobriety, we begin to hold ourselves completely and personally responsible for our behavior. But we work hard to avoid laying blame. Blame is shuffling the unpleasant feeling of failure away. It is a way to avoid dealing with discomfort and in successful recovery, there is no such thing. We learn to stand in the light and stare honestly into the shadows.
The Difference Between Blame and Responsibility
When we take responsibility for our actions, especially in addiction, we have taken the first step to correct our mistakes or missteps. We know that we are accountable and that success and failure are absolutely on our shoulders.
Blame on the other hand is unproductive because it attributes failure to some lack of character or motivation. In recovery, there is no room for blame because instead of asking, “How do I fix this?” we point fingers. With blame, there is no moving forward. When we take responsibility, we learn from our missteps. We know, should the issue arise again, there is a better way to handle it.
Get Help
Are you ready to see the world clearly? Are you ready to learn how to stop addiction vicious circle? At Fort Worth Recovery, we will build a personalized treatment plan that helps you learn to stop blaming and live a more fulfilling life. Call us today at 817 382 2894 or visit us online.
