Why Admitting Your Own Addiction Is the First Step to Recovery


People often refuse to admit they have an addiction or ask for help. They are ashamed or feel guilty. Many people are actually in denial about their problem and rationalize their use. They may try countless times to moderate or quit on their own before accepting that they have lost control over their addiction. This denial and hiding of one’s addiction only allows it to progress further.
The power that addiction holds comes in part from secrecy and isolation. Being open about the struggle with addiction takes away much of its power and control. However, taking that first step to admit “I am addicted, and I need help” requires incredible strength and courage. The individual must overcome the natural human tendencies toward denial and self-deception. They must face the possibility of judgment or consequences. Only with openness and honesty about the addiction can real healing begin, and Dana Point rehab can be of help with this process.
Seeking Help Requires Admitting Addiction
The first step toward seeking professional treatment for addiction is to openly admit that one is addicted and needs support and accountability. Addiction counseling cannot effectively begin if the addicted person is still in denial or hiding the full extent of their problem. Professional counselors and treatment programs have great success in helping addicted individuals into long-term recovery, but a key first component is that person’s willingness to acknowledge their addiction.
Whether it is addiction treatment in the form of inpatient or outpatient rehab, group counseling sessions, medication-assisted treatment, or other programs, the addicted individual must be ready to transparently discuss their struggles before real progress can happen. The most effective addiction treatment plans will include complete background screening, identification of triggers, examination of underlying issues, development of healthy coping strategies, and efforts to establish accountability. However, for treatment providers to create such a thorough treatment plan, addicted individuals must be completely honest with themselves and their counselors about all aspects of their addiction. This requires admitting they have lost control and being willing to follow advice and direction.

A Weight Lifted
Most addicts feel a sense of relief when they tell someone about their problem. The secrecy surrounding the addiction required constant energy to uphold – denying evidence, remembering lies, rationalizing poor choices, and living in fear of being caught. Removing that veil of secrecy by openly admitting the addiction eliminates an enormous weight the individual may not have even realized they were carrying.
Of course, there are still challenges ahead in the recovery process. Nevertheless, no longer having to hide such a significant part of life or manage it alone brings considerable relief. The admission of addiction also often results in greater support from the addicted person’s support networks. Friends and family members frequently express that they suspected the addiction long before the individual admitted it openly. They are glad that secrecy is no longer dividing their relationship. By admitting the addiction fully, the addicted person allows their loved ones to rally around them during recovery.
While admitting addiction is difficult, doing so sets the stage for authentic healing. No longer denying reality is incredibly freeing. Opening up about the struggle is the only way to get the full support needed for rehabilitation and establishing long-term sobriety. The admission may be scary or humiliating at the moment, but it is truly the first step to reclaiming one’s health, relationships, and life from the bonds of addiction.
People call me Cath! Living the minimalist lifestyle and love minimalist style, beauty and wellness especially YOGA. So hardly support mental health matter of insecurities.