Shedding Shame in Rehab

Shame is one of the hardest emotions to deal with in Washington State drug rehab. As substance users begin to understand the harm they have caused, and as they begin to grapple with the internal and external issues that contributed to their illness, they can feel ashamed of their behaviors. They may even feel ashamed that other people will know they have the disease. These emotions are common but also toxic.

But for many addicts, shame is an ever-present threat to long-term sobriety. How can therapy in drug rehab help you to let go of the shame for good and begin the healing process?

Washington State Drug Rehab and the Shame Game

It is not just the experience of providing services in a Washington State drug rehab facility that has led to an understanding of the negative ramifications of the “shame game.” Now there is a new scientific study published in the Clinical Psychological Science journal that proves it.

The study correlated shame with the likelihood that alcoholics would relapse. It made the distinction between two types of shame: shame for behaviors conducted while in the grip of the disease, and general shame and a feeling of being a bad person. Researchers looked at the influence of these feelings on recidivism in alcoholics and found that a physical display of shame, such as slumped shoulders, seemed to correlate with a higher likelihood of relapse. Researchers noted: “How much shame participants displayed strongly predicted not only whether they relapsed, but how bad that relapse was – that is, how many drinks they had if they did relapse.”

Cathy Taughinbaugh points out: “Addiction and shame go hand in hand. It is hard to understand where one starts and the other ends.”

According to this latest scientific study, feeling shame and unworthiness can create a self-perpetuating loop that only extends the addiction, delaying treatment progress. So, how can Washington state drug rehab help you eliminate shame from your emotional landscape?

Releasing Shame in Washington State Drug Rehab

Shame is typically tied to guilt over something you have done. Substance users can leave a wide wake of destruction behind them. Facing this shame is as much a part of Washington State drug rehab as withdrawing from the substance. Both must be conquered in order to move on to a healthier life on the other side of the addiction.

Shame can even result from admitting your addiction and the embarrassment that others will find out about the disease. Identifying these feelings and rooting them out is a crucial part of treatment in Washington State drug rehab. Feeling these emotions is normal, but dwelling on them to the detriment of your own health is not.

Addiction treatment programs are designed to provide clinical treatment in the form of medications and counseling. That counseling seeks to ferret out the root cause of the disorder. As part of that process, individualized and group counseling sessions help defeat shame and replace it with the courage to move forward, and the compassion to help others — and yourself.

Do you long to live a drug-free life without shame? Contact us today to take the first step!