Recovering addicts will often experience a wide range of emotions related to their recovery journey, especially in the earliest stages. From a feeling of victory to depression, these emotions can be both good and bad. In particular, many recovering addicts will struggle with feelings of resentment.
Resentment in Addiction Recovery
As a luxury residential rehab, we know that it is not uncommon for recovering addicts to feel resentment. This could come in the form of resentment against their loved ones for not recognizing their progress or acknowledging that they have changed. It can also manifest in resentment for someone who is also in recovery but appears to be more successful than them. It could even be resentment for others that appear to be getting in the way of their recovery efforts whether or not this is the truth.
Overcoming resentment in recovery is difficult, but if left alone, resentment can eat away at someone. It can keep the recovering addict from taking responsibility for their action as they become too focused on someone else. Resentment may also lead to relapse as the recovering addict uses other people as an excuse as to why they are not more successful. Either way, resentment in recovery is a dangerous burden that can prevent the recovering addict from successfully moving forward.
How to Overcome Resentment in Recovery
Instead of letting resentment get the best of you, try these techniques for getting over resentment in recovery.
Remember that recovery is a process.
Resenting others because you may not be as far along in the recovery progress as you may want to be or because others may not be as quick to forgive you as you had hoped, will only hurt you. Instead of blaming others, remind yourself that sobriety is a journey and recovery is a process. It will take time to get where you want to be, and you need to take it one day at a time.
Get help.
Even if you went through luxury dual diagnosis treatment in rehab, it doesn’t mean your mental health is now perfect. If you find that resentment is holding you back, it may be in your favor to seek professional help. Find a therapist, support group, or psychiatrist to work through these issues with you.
Focus on the positives.
Instead of dwelling on resentment and other negative emotions, try to actively focus on the positives. By embracing the good, the negative emotions will have less power over you. When this practice becomes habitual, you will find that you no longer feel so resentful.
Practice healthy coping techniques.
It is natural to feel anger or resentment at times, but without an outlet, these emotions will only build up inside of you and become a bigger burden. Make time for healthy coping techniques such as journaling, exercise, meditation, or art to help you release these negative emotions in a positive way.
Overcoming resentment in recovery will only help you with your goal of long-term sobriety and can change your life for the better.
As a luxury drug and alcohol addiction treatment center, we want to make overcoming addiction as comfortable as possible for our patients. If you or a loved one is looking for professional help for a substance abuse problem, do not hesitate to reach out to us.
