Why Self-Love is Important for Recovery

January 14, 2020

Memories from your addiction surface and threaten to throw off the balance of recovery that you are trying to maintain. Shame, guilt, loneliness, worthlessness, and hopelessness overwhelm you. There have been so many things you did during your addiction that make you feel like all of this is not worth your trouble.

Stealing, begging, selling yourself, throwing away relationships, and stooping to such lows that sober you is horrified by the memories of what you did. You were driven by the desire, the urge, the need to obtain drugs. Your brain was not itself; it was damaged by the chemicals from the substance. You could not think properly, all you know is you needed that drug and you would do anything to satisfy it.

Now that you are in recovery, you need to understand how to deal with past memories and learn to live with yourself. Self-love is an important thing that can push you to do great things, but without it, recovery can seem pointless. Self-love is the regard of your own well-being through positive thoughts and the desire to be continually happy.

Self-love can help you stay in recovery by improving your mental state of satisfaction and self-esteem. Low self-esteem has been linked to substance abuse. The more you love yourself, the longer your recovery will be. Through the practice of self-love, you can become a powerful force. Nothing is impossible, including recovery. It grows with us. The more we love ourselves, the easier it is to do what we need to do to remain happy and healthy.

Self-love is not easy to come by, especially if you have been stuck in a negative mindset for a long time. When we practice self-love, we begin to think more positively about ourselves, learning to embrace our strengths. We give ourselves the power to hear a negative thought and understand it for what it is and turn it into something positive. Each decision we make affects us, and learning to love yourself can help you to make decisions that are best for you.

How do I love Myself?

  1.   Show Yourself Compassion: Understanding that you are having a rough time does not mean wallowing in self-pity at the bottom of a bottle. It means learning that while something may be hard on you, there is always something you can do about it. If you make a mistake, it is about getting up and trying again, a lot can be learned from that mistake. Take it slowly and do not blame or judge yourself, you are a work in progress.
  2.   Being Mindful: When you are mindful of your thoughts and actions, it increases your awareness of yourself. This helps you to be more positive and act more like the person you desire to be. You can hold inner dialogs and learn how you are treating yourself now and how you want to treat yourself later. Mindfulness can lead to happiness, you have to live with you, so be kind and supportive of you.
  3.   Take Care of Yourself: When you take care of yourself through exercise, sleeping, showering, or eating a healthy meal, it can help you love yourself more. All of these kinds of things can help boost your energy and reduce your stress. When you are less stressed, you are more likely to be able to remain in a positive mindset.
  4.   Make Amends: If there is something truly haunting about a past memory that you cannot seem to get past, you can always make amends. Making amends can help you to learn from it and move on. They may not accept your attempt to remedy the situation, but you can still strive to do your best about it.
  5.   Attend Counseling: It is empowering to be able to identify that you are not as positive as you pretend to be and then seek out professional help for it. During the recovery process, there are many people you can talk to about loving yourself. They can teach you life skills to be able to live your life as a happy and positive individual.
  6.   Acts of Kindness: Doing things for others can give you the warm fuzzies. These warm fuzzy feelings can last throughout the day. After helping someone,  you are more likely to smile wherever you go. You not only have the sun shine on you but on everyone you come in contact with. If anything, helping someone out can always put you in a good mood. So, if you are having a down day and do not know how to make it better, make someone else’s day better, and it might just help you too.

The road to recovery begins by imagining a life without addiction. We place you at the center of treatment, and our team coordinates its efforts with you to develop a personalized program. Together we develop goals in treatment and after treatment that support recovery, self-efficacy, and improved quality of life.

After a lifetime of self-abuse, it’s not easy to discover the value of self-love. Wondering what step you should take next? Unsure of what services would be the best fit for you? Call Steps Recovery Centers today – 385-250-1701– to talk with one of our trained clinicians. With levels of care from outpatient to residential, we can meet you where you are and help boost your journey to recovery.

Recent Posts

6 Recovery Symbols to Celebrate Your Sobriety

6 Recovery Symbols to Celebrate Your Sobriety

If you are struggling with addiction, it may seem like there is no end to it. However, do not lose hope. Drug rehab in Payson will make addiction recovery possible for you. Recovery is undoubtedly a challenging journey, but there are better things laid out for you at...

What is Residential Mental Health Treatment?

What is Residential Mental Health Treatment?

The world of mental healthcare and counseling uses various terminologies to describe treatments, mental health conditions‌, and more. One such common phrase is 'level of care,' which signifies the extent of services a patient needs. It can vary from simple traditional...

Dual Diagnosis: Mental Health and Addiction Treatment?

Dual Diagnosis: Mental Health and Addiction Treatment?

Most people with substance use disorder are likely to suffer from mental health conditions. It is called dual diagnosis. If you also have a dual diagnosis, you must follow a collaborative treatment plan that can simultaneously address both disorders. As per the...