People who have struggled with addiction in the past often say that the embarrassment they felt over it, either when they were taking the first steps to sobriety or long after they cleaned up their life, is one of the hardest things they’ve had to overcome. When you’re taking the step of asking for help overcoming your addiction for the first time, your pride can make this an extremely hard task because you feel embarrassed or ashamed to admit to this person, whether a doctor, therapist or family member, that you struggle with addiction. There’s such an ugly stigma attached to addiction that it can be one of the biggest factors as to whether or not someone tries to get help for their addiction before they do further damage to their body. It’s not easy to admit your faults, much less admit you have an addiction, but you have to own up to it before you can think of anything else.
By owning up to it, you’re taking responsibility for your life, and that’s nothing for anyone to sneer at, and at the end of the day, you can only control your life and your reactions, not that of others. Some people may make you feel embarrassed about your problem, others will be welcoming and helpful, and no matter which reaction you get, the embarrassment may not fade. So how can you really deal with that?
Accept it. Especially if you made poor choices while you struggled with it, the feeling isn’t just going to go away quickly. If you try to ignore it, you may only make matters worse, but by accepting it, you can learn to grow from it. Every single person on the planet has things in their past that, if made relatively public knowledge, would probably give them the same intense embarrassment you may feel. Everyone has their baggage, and it’s not your place to judge them for it, and vice versa, though many often do. If you meet with negative people who taunt you about it, treat them with kindness and move along; karma will probably bite them for it later.
Use your past to your advantage. Use your past mistakes to help teach someone else what not to do, and you may find that the shame you feel can be morphed into something positive. The Springboard Center is ready to help you overcome the addiction to drugs or alcohol that’s gripping you, and along with tailored treatment plans that adjust to your needs, you’ll find a caring, nonjudgemental atmosphere where you can focus on healing. Don’t let your fear hold you back from freeing yourself one more day: Call 432-620-0255 and get help today.
