For a great majority of people suffering from substance abuse or addiction, the long-trodden road through withdrawal and rehabilitation treatment can prove to be a long and arduous path. With each passing moment, for each obstacle that is conquered, a new one rises to take its place. During this time, this onslaught of emotional, physical, and psychological torment can make the entire process seem worthless and pointless. “What am I supposed to do,” you may ask, “if I keep hitting these bumps?” Sometimes, the process can seem tiresome and completely futile. Keep trudging through the muck, however, and you will eventually reach clear water. Every single, painful, emotional moment is a necessary part of healing, especially if your brain has been attached to a dangerous substance for the past few months or years.
Much like the disease that is causing all these problems, though, rehabilitation affects everyone differently. For some, the process might be easier than expected. For other people, the process will be agonizingly exhausting and drawn-out. Many elements (including sexual abuse, depression, and injuries) can cause a person to turn to drugs or alcohol. As a result, these hidden emotions will resurface as the chemicals begin to leave your system.
Obviously, one of the first accomplishments is physical fitness and breaking chemical dependency.
So, what are you supposed to do about the emotional side?
Sometimes, just as you think you are reaching the top of that mountain during rehabilitation treatment, fear and doubt are waiting to pull you down into the darkness again. In this case, you have probably fallen victim to self-pity, a state where you believe you are worthless.
The bad news is, that is a dangerous trap to fall into. The good news is that you can easily overcome it with the right tools. Let’s take a closer look and see how you can overcome an overwhelming sense of self-pity during rehab.
What Exactly Is Self-Pity?
Simply put, self-pity takes place when a person experiences overwhelming self-centered despair to the point that their negative thoughts dominate their life. As a result, relationships, happiness, and positivity will slowly crumble away into nothingness. While everyone experiences this particular emotion every so often (we are only human, after all), self-pity is like poison to a drug addict or alcoholic. Here are some obvious signs of self-pity:
- An ongoing feeling that your life is meaningless
- Believing you are the victim in every situation
- Feeling like you always need sympathy and support from others
- Inability to find humor in your actions and laugh at your foolishness
- Dwelling on past problems
- Feeling endless guilt about past problems
- Extreme stubbornness
Interestingly, though, self-pity does not descend with flashing lights and blaring sirens. Like a poison, it slowly leaks into you and gradually changes your behavior. Rather than taking responsibility for your actions, you will fall into the pool of guilt just to get attention from other people. That is self-pity in a nutshell.
How Self-Pity and Addiction Are Connected
Like addiction, self-pity is a detrimental and degenerative problem, and the two will often go hand-in-hand. At times, people who suffer from substance abuse or addiction will be plagued by endless guilt and feelings of doubt. Sometimes, self-pity will actually drive a person to become an alcoholic or a drug addict. Also, in a particularly bad case, a person will actually use this emotional state as a means of justifying their dangerous behavior. For example, a person may start drinking after they lose their job. While this is by no means a good course of action (not in the least), it is far too common in our world. Likewise, a person who has been consuming alcohol or opioids may suddenly feel an overwhelming sense of self-pity after detaching from the substances.
Simultaneously Curing Comorbid Self-Pity and Addiction
Remember how we said you can easily overcome self-pity? Some more good news is that you can also overcome addiction, but only if you are willing to do so. Once you acknowledge that you have fallen victim to self-pity and addiction and make the decision to heal, you will get better.
Our brains are fascinating organs, serving as the banks for our memories and our lives. Every time we learn something new, that activity is burned into the neurons of our gray matter. For example, once you learn to ride a bicycle, the changes are slim that you will ever forget how to do this. Memories are the key to our success as human beings. If you can overcome self-pity, you can obliterate bad memories and pave the road for new ones.
Ways to Cope with Self-Pity and Addiction
Besides inpatient treatment and rehabilitation programs, you can also take extra steps to cure yourself of your self-pity and (to an extent) the side effects of your addiction (including withdrawal and cravings). Finding new ways to cope with negative thoughts will increase your chances of successful rehab. Here are a few examples:
- Keep a journal to record your thoughts (bad and good), accomplishments, and dreams
- Find a healthy distraction for your negative thoughts (physical fitness and sports)
- Find a way to help others (volunteer work, helping at an animal shelter)
Seeking Treatment for Drug Addiction and Alcoholism
At The Recover, we fully understand how difficult treatment processes can be for addicts and alcoholics through our daily work to help these individuals overcome this terrible, painful disease. Although many people believe they can overcome their problems without help, residential rehabilitation treatment programs are still an essential step on the road to recovery. Although the path to health and happiness might not be an easy one to take, you can finally enter the threshold to freedom with the help of a loving, supporting team. Additional aspects like counseling and psychological care can ensure you address underlying psychological issues that ultimately led you to become an addict. From here, you can build an infrastructure that will help you live your life with entering relapse, all with the help of a solid residential rehabilitation treatment program.
An unbiased and substance abuse and mental health news provider, The Recover works hard to help victims of drug abuse or addiction discover the right residential rehabilitation treatment programs in their local areas. We also provide detailed information concerning West Virginia Centers for addiction recovery. For more information, contact us today at (888) 510-3898 to learn more about our comprehensive drug and alcohol addiction treatment
Access to top treatment centers