Contributor: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC Special Projects Coordinator at Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope
Addiction is perpetuated by a vicious cycle that causes a person to make poor decisions – ones that often come back to haunt with a vengeance.
As a recovering addict, you likely have made mistakes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol that you would rather no one ever knew about, especially the people who are closest to you.
It is not uncommon for addicts to carry out their destructive lifestyle in shame and secrecy, typically isolating themselves from the people who love and care about them.
Secrets Can Stay Dormant and Deep
Even as a person recovers and makes tremendous strides towards healing and restoration, it is easy to let secrets stay buried and neglected. While recovery from an addiction often focuses on healing and processing events from one’s pastime, it can be difficult to reveal the deepest secrets that have stayed dormant for quite some time. The danger of harboring secrets in this manner is the ramifications that might unfold down the road.
Part of recovery from addiction is learning to make peace with yourself and your past. Keeping secrets buried is essential a hindering block to experiencing full recovery and freedom from addiction, which will only slow your growth as an individual and prevent you from reaching your fullest potential in life.
How to Un-bury Those Secrets
If you have been harboring secrets from your past or from your addiction, consider working with a counselor or therapist to figure the best way to process and deal with these hidden parts of your life.
A counselor can listen you in confidentiality and guide you through the fears, shame, guilt, or any other emotions that you may be experiencing around these hidden secrets. This might also be a good opportunity to figure out how to effectively deal with or communicate with others who may have been affected by the secrets you have kept hidden.
Truly making peace with yourself and others begins by healing from your past and being honest with yourself. Know that there is support and guidance to help you achieve this in your recovery, no matter what you may have kept hidden.
Community Discussion – Share your thoughts here!
What aspects of recovering from addiction have you found to be most challenging? How did you overcome the fear of communicating your struggles or your past with loved ones?
Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on July 17th, 2015
Published on AddictionHope.com