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Being Honest With Yourself in Drug Rehab

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, help is available. Speak with a Recovery Advocate by calling (855) 602-7202 now.

Addiction starts with the first lie. It may be a small one, at work or with a loved one, but inevitably the murky spiral of addiction leads you down a path where lying becomes a way of life. Like kindling on a bonfire, lies feed the addiction and help it flourish.

This article explores the importance of honesty during and after drug rehab. How does honesty help you achieve and maintain sobriety? Why is truth and honesty at the heart of long-term sobriety?

Telling the Truth Rehab

Being truthful with yourself is the first step in most cognitive-behavioral therapeutic approaches. Truth means opening your heart to the realities of the pain your addiction has inflicted on both you and your loved ones. Counseling typically focuses on uncovering the real reasons behind your actions, in addition to treating the physical components of addiction.

ADDICTION STARTS WITH THE FIRST LIE. ADDICTION ENDS WITH THE TRUTH.

Being honest means confronting and discarding some of the lies you have been telling yourself, such as, “I’ll never touch this drug again,” or, “One drink won’t hurt.” Addiction is an incredibly complicated disease, affecting both the mind and body. Lying is a natural subset of the addicted person’s coping mechanisms; deep down you understand the damage you are inflicting. However, the drug or alcohol continues to work on the vulnerable centers of your brain, even as the lies you are telling add up.

Lying helps you avoid the stigma that comes with addiction. It is a defense mechanism that allows the continuation of your destructive behavior. That is why programs such as 12-step recovery focus on “rigorous honesty.” Rigorous honesty means telling the truth even when it is much easier to lie.

The Importance of Honesty in Addiction Recovery

The first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem. It requires taking a personal inventory of your life and what your addiction has wrought. While honesty is so crucial to the recovery process, it is often just as hard as beating back the physical manifestations of addiction.

Rigorous honesty requires diligence and self-awareness, which is why it is impossible to achieve when the addiction is full-blown. Think about it; even the non-addicted struggle with telling the truth. Now add addiction into the mix and you will start to see how truly brave you really are to seek and follow through with treatment. It is almost always easier to lie, but you deserve to be honest with yourself and those around you. Recovery cannot start until this mental shift happens.

Honesty is a journey, so there will be days when you simply cannot meet that goal. There will be good and bad days, as you work with your counseling team and peers to change behaviors that are ingrained and that may be easier than telling the truth.

When you are ready to start this journey, open your heart and contact us. We can help.