Overcoming Shame: Embracing Recovery at West Coast Recovery

While there have been many efforts made to lower the stigma around mental health issues and substance use disorder (SUD), people may still experience judgment or negativity around their health. It is important to know that there is no shame in struggling, and in fact, getting treatment shows a great inner strength. Admitting that you have a problem and seeking help from an external source can be scary and overwhelming. Yet, the first step of recovery is recognizing that you need help and overcoming the shame that you may feel to seek it. West Coast Recovery Centers helps our clients overcome shame and work to embrace the process of recovery.

Shame can stop someone from seeking treatment and can affect their ability to retain progress. Getting treatment at an accredited facility will give you a safe place to work on yourself without fear of judgment. We recognize the strength it takes to admit you need help and the amount of work that recovery may require. Understanding that you have the strength to get help means that you can also overcome shame. Treatment will teach you that anyone can struggle, and it is important to surround yourself with people who lift you up. When you embrace recovery, you will be able to live a life that you want, focused on your health. 

How Shame Affects Treatment

Sometimes people may feel judged for their struggles. In society, people may look down upon those who struggle with their mental health or SUD. This judgment comes from a lack of understanding and is a reflection of the other person's lack of empathy. When you are struggling with shame due to judgment, you may isolate and avoid reaching out. This can be detrimental to your health and long-term wellness. Shame can cause people to struggle to get clean and healthy as well as avoid relapse in recovery.

When you allow yourself to live in that shame, treatment has a harder time being effective. Feeling misunderstood, othered, or judged may also cause SUD and mental health to get worse. It is important to recognize the shame that you may feel and talk about it with your provider. Treatment can teach you how to navigate feelings of shame and work through them. You have to be willing to view yourself in a better light through the strength of your recovery. 

Strategies to Manage Shame

Treatment can teach you ways to manage your shame and overcome it. People who struggle with self-worth and shame may have a greater inclination to struggle with substance use issues. The more you struggle with your self-worth, the more the cycle of isolation and substance use may grow. Getting into treatment is a courageous step to living the kind of life that you would prefer. To understand ways to overcome shame, your treatment providers and care team can work with you to develop your self-worth.

Recognizing your strength will allow you to see that you are greater than the shame you may feel. In treatment, you may also engage in group therapy. Group therapy can be effective in helping you manage shame. Connection is the antithesis of struggle, and when you see others who are on the path of recovery like you, you will feel supported. Addiction and mental health issues do not discriminate and can happen to anyone. When you recognize that you are struggling and rely on the support of those around you to get better, you can work through any existing feelings of shame you may feel. 

Embracing Recovery and Overcoming Shame

The best way to work through the shame that you may feel around your health is to get into recovery for yourself. When you recognize the inner strength that it takes to admit you need help and surrender your struggles in treatment, you will realize that you can embrace your recovery. Recovery requires deep behavioral change. As you work on yourself, you will be able to create the life that you want for yourself. Treatment will not fix everything for you but rather it will show you the strength that you have inside to make large differences in your recovery. 

It is important to find a caring and trained treatment facility to assist you in this process. At West Coast Recovery Centers, we offer compassionate and individualized treatment that is created specifically for you. This treatment is formulated to work within your comfort and strengths. Your drive to seek treatment and establish sobriety shows that you are strong. Treatment can be difficult, but your inner strengths will push you through. We are able to find a treatment that works within that to make a difference in your life, supporting you every step of the way.

When you struggle with your mental health or substance use, it can be isolating. Others not understanding or judging you for things they don't have a grasp on can cause you to avoid seeking treatment. The shame and stigma around treatment are lifting, but they can still affect our clients. We aim to provide individualized and compassionate care that works with you, wherever you are. If you are able to admit you are struggling and reach out for help, it shows great strength within yourself. Sometimes getting treatment can be difficult. As you embrace recovery, you are embracing a happier and healthier life. To learn more about shame around recovery, call West Coast Recovery Centers at (760) 492-6509.