Getting Past Shame and Guilt Associated with Addiction

The iconic English poet Alexander Pope famously wrote, “Honor and shame from no condition rise. Act well your part: there all the honor lies.” Many people feel shame and guilt associated with their active addiction. This shame and guilt often carry over well into recovery. However, one must get over this shame and guilt if they are to recover at the cellular level.

What Does It Mean to Heal at the Cellular Level?

Now, healing at the cellular level is all about healing holistically. When many people hear the word “holistic,” they automatically think of Eastern medicine and practices like meditation and yoga. While yes, these types of healing methods are important, they are not what “holistic” solely means. “Holistic” simply means “the whole.” So, to holistically heal thyself means to heal the whole self: the physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual.

It is also important to understand that healing at the cellular level does not happen just because one chooses to recover. It requires proper support and guidance. This is why finding a recovery center that focuses on comprehensive and individualized addiction care, with a focus on the future, is so important. The reality is that the addiction recovery industry has boomed to be worth multi-billions of dollars. While this is positive in that it can mean there are more places for people to go, it also means that there are more “bad actors” out there looking to put their financial bottom line over their clients’ well-being.

Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we know that this type of addiction care is rarely effective. “One-size-fits-all” plans can only get someone so far in their journey, and long-term success should always be the goal. That is why all of our addiction recovery plans are always individualized and comprehensive, with a focus on the future. We take recovery seriously with each and every one of our clients.

Better Understanding Addiction

Addiction affects millions of people every day. This is true both in the U.S. and around the globe. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “40.3 million people in the United States had an SUD in 2020. In 2020, only 6.5 percent of people with SUD received treatment.” Also, “In 2021, about 107,000 people died of drug overdoses.” This last statistic is just a reminder of how deadly a disease addiction is, and, yes, addiction is absolutely a chronic disease.

Many people are under the misconception that addiction is some type of moral failing or “choice.” This is simply false, and it also adds to the preexisting stigma that exists around addiction. No, addiction is a disease. Addiction has more in common with other chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease than it does with a “choice.” Addiction is also a “family disease.”

Addiction often affects more than just the individual who is struggling. This is especially true with family and close friends. Also, this is why addiction is often referred to as “a tornado that destroys everyone and everything in its path.” The good news is that, while the family is often the most affected, they also have the opportunity to bring about the most change in their loved ones’ lives. However, they must be able to spot the signs and symptoms of addiction.

The Signs and Symptoms of Addiction

Now, of course, the signs and symptoms of addiction are always going to vary based on the individual. However, one can look out for many of the more universal ones. The following are just a few of those signs and symptoms:

• Exhibiting excessive mood swings
• Feeling anxious, nervous, or overly “stressed out”
• Not being able to stop once starting to drink or use
• Losing interest in activities once enjoyed
• Isolating away from family and close friends
• Loss of appetite and a lack of care regarding physical appearance and well-being
• Experiencing trouble at work or school
• Having trouble with sleep cycles, including sleeping too much and not sleeping enough
• Experiencing physical ailments such as headaches, body aches, and gastrointestinal problems
• Having feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and helplessness
• Causing harm to oneself or others
• Having suicidal ideations

Now, as one can see, these signs and symptoms are significant and can even be deadly. This is why reaching out for professional help sooner rather than later is critical. Doing so could mean the difference between short-term side effects and long-term consequences. It is also important to find the right modalities that are going to address the shame and guilt associated with addiction.

Better Understanding Shame and Guilt

Guilt and shame are among the two most common emotions that people often feel when they are in early recovery. The reality is that those emotions are common and perfectly normal. 

In active addiction, many people do a lot of damage and hurt a lot of people (including themselves). The good news is that, in recovery, one doesn’t need to live in shame and guilt anymore. However, one must do the work to make it so.

Better Understanding Overall Emotions and Addiction

One’s emotions are often dulled when they are in active addiction. This is because addiction is cunning, baffling, and powerful, and the only thing addiction wants is to get that individual to take their next drink or drug.

Also, many other extreme emotions are felt in active addiction. This is because addiction can make one’s mood swing incredibly quickly. One moment, an individual may be sad and depressed, and the next moment, they may feel almost manic with excitement. This is because drugs and alcohol mess with one’s ability to regulate emotions. Now, this is especially true with shame and guilt.

Getting Past Shame and Guilt Associated with Addiction

The reality of recovery is that it’s time to get real with oneself. In recovery, one will soon discover that their addiction is less about the substances that one puts into their body and more about why one used those substances in the first place. This is often why many people in recovery rooms can be heard saying, “It’s not about the drinking; it’s about the thinking.”

When an individual starts to get real, they soon find themselves getting rather uncomfortable. This is because they are starting to feel real emotions again. These emotions are often related to the “damage” they did while in active addiction. This is where shame and guilt come in.

However, it is also important to separate shame and guilt, as they are often linked but are not the same emotion. According to PLoS ONE, “While shame and guilt are often mentioned together, substantial research indicates that they are distinct emotions related to different attributions and behavioral responses. Negative self-conscious emotions, including shame and guilt, result from the appraisal of how an experience pertains to the self in relation to others. Shame is often conceptualized as a negative evaluation of oneself (e.g., ‘I am less valuable than others’), while guilt is often conceptualized as a negative evaluation of one’s behavior (e.g., ‘I have behaved poorly compared to others’).”

Avoiding Shame and Guilt in Recovery

It is critical to avoid guilt and shame in recovery because these emotions can ultimately lead to a relapse. According to Frontiers in Psychiatry, “A study found a positive association between shame and guilt activation in alcohol dependence. The author claimed that people with substance use disorder (SUD) reported a higher level of guilt than those who didn’t use drugs. Also, “Shame can be a barrier to recovery from the treatment of addictive behaviors.” Additionally, “Shame predicts a tendency to relapse, the severity of relapse, and a decline in mental and physical health.”

The best way to avoid shame and guilt in recovery is to work with other people also in recovery. These are the people who can bring hope to those who are struggling. They can also offer a sense of accountability. If one is feeling shame and guilt, it is important that they tell another person about it. Holding it in is only going to make matters worse. Also, if shame and guilt are forecasters of a relapse, then working with others is a predictor of long-term recovery.

Working With Others to Help With Shame and Guilt in Recovery

Working with others to avoid shame, guilt, and potential relapse is so important that they even named a chapter after it in the primary text of 12-Step recovery (commonly referred to as the Big Book). It is actually entitled, “Working With Others.” The chapter states, “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much ensure immunity from drinking [and using] as intensive work with other [people in recovery]. It works when other activities fail…. You can help when no one else can.” Yes, it is important to replace shame and guilt with relationships and fellowship.

Utilizing the Multi-Angled Approach to Deal With Shame and Guilt in Recovery

When dealing with shame and guilt, it is important to take a multi-angled approach to recovery. This means utilizing as many effective means, methods, and modalities as possible.

The modalities should come from all realms of recovery. This includes “traditional” psychotherapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). It also means utilizing experiential therapies like nature immersion therapy, horticulture therapy, and surf therapy. Lastly, it means using holistic healing methods like yoga therapy and mindfulness meditation.

A Focus on ‘Traditional’ Therapies

Traditional therapies like CBT and DBT can be particularly effective because they get to the underlying issues of addiction. It is not the drink or the drug itself, but rather why that individual took that drink or drug in the first place. These therapies help an individual see the negative way that they have been viewing themselves and the world around them, and help them to shift their thinking and thus shift their negative actions.

CBT can be particularly effective because the individuals engaged with it become more “active participants” in their own recovery. According to the peer-reviewed journal Cognitive Therapy and Research, “Consistent with the medical model of psychiatry, the overall goal of treatment is symptom reduction, improvement in functioning, and remission of the disorder. In order to achieve this goal, the patient becomes an active participant in a collaborative problem-solving process to test and challenge the validity of maladaptive cognitions and to modify maladaptive behavioral patterns…. Although these strategies greatly emphasize cognitive factors, physiological, emotional, and behavioral components are also recognized for the role that they play in the maintenance of the disorder.” Surf therapy can also be highly beneficial.

A Focus on Surf Therapy

Many people may not be aware that some of the best surfing in the world happens on the Hamakua Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island. But it’s true. The good news is that a mere 15-minute journey from our luxury 30-acre property at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab sits one of the best surf breaks on the Big Island. Here, one can catch some of the best waves that the Pacific Ocean has to offer while also meditating between rides. 

Surf therapy has been shown to offer a myriad of benefits for individuals struggling with addiction. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Carefully planned water activities tailored to the needs of the individual can contribute to correct psychosocial and cognitive development. The International Surf Therapy Organization summarizes the benefits of adequately indicated surf therapy as follows: improved physical health and mobility; improved mental health, including reduction of specific symptoms, such as posttraumatic stress and depression; improved well-being (strengthening of trust and confidence, encouragement of independence, resilience and protective coping strategies) and improved social skills.” Meditation and yoga may also offer similar benefits.

A Focus on Holistic Healing Methods

Many holistic healing methods have been practiced for thousands of years. It has only been recently that they have been used to aid in addiction recovery. Holistic healing methods have been shown to have many benefits. The following are just a few:

• A greater focus on mindfulness
• Creates empathy
• Improved breathing
• Better strength and posture
• Acquiring a better sense of self
• Finding a better sense of mental balance and clarity
• Helping one connect with others and heal relationships
• Increased positivity and wellness
• Connects individuals with new, relatable people
• Encourages spirituality
• Reduces anxiety and depression
• Can help individuals who struggle with suicidal ideations

As one can see, these benefits are vast and varied. Mindfulness meditation also offers a series of other benefits. According to the International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda (AYU), “Research has confirmed a myriad of health benefits associated with the practice of meditation. These include stress reduction, decreased anxiety, decreased depression, reduction in pain (both physical and psychological), improved memory, and increased efficiency. Physiological benefits include reduced blood pressure, heart rate, lactate, cortisol, and epinephrine; decreased metabolism, breathing pattern, oxygen utilization, and carbon dioxide elimination; and increased melatonin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), skin resistance, and relative blood flow to the brain.”

Healing at the Cellular Level With Exclusive Hawaii Rehab

Alexander Pope also famously wrote, “To err is human; to forgive, divine.” In recovery, one must get past the shame and guilt of their past and learn to forgive oneself. This is the only way that one can grow and truly heal at the cellular level.

Here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” That is why all of our recovery plans follow through into aftercare treatment and solutions for the long term. This includes addressing and overcoming shame and guilt.

If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, then it is time to make a change. Recovery is waiting here on the Hamakua Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island. You can do this! You can create a life that is beyond your wildest dreams. We can help.

Many people feel shame and guilt because of their addiction. This is normal, but must also be overcome for a full and healthy long-term recovery. The good news is that there are many effective means, methods, and modalities that can help one to recover from shame and guilt at the cellular level. If you feel like you or a loved one is struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or co-occurring disorders, we can help get you on the right road to long-term recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this process alone. For more information about shame and guilt in recovery, please reach out to Exclusive Hawaii Rehab today at (808) 775-0200.