Self-reflection in recovery is crucial. Many people who misuse drugs and alcohol do so as a way to numb certain emotions or distract themselves from issues in their life they don’t feel ready to deal with. But when they enter recovery and become sober, they finally have the chance to look at things clearly for what they are, both the good and the bad.

Self-reflection allows one to look back at themselves and their life and identify the positive things and the things that they need to change moving forward toward the next stage of their life. This process involves closely examining everything from personal habits to thought processes. Self-reflection not only allows a person to learn more about themselves but shows them what steps they need to take to become the best version of themselves.

How Self-Reflection and Recovery Go Hand in Hand

A person’s recovery journey goes beyond simply quitting drug and alcohol use. It involves healing from the past, letting go of things in their life that no longer serve them, and putting in the work to build a positive future for themselves. As they will learn through therapy and continued treatment, substance misuse is not a surface-level issue. It stems from something much deeper and more complicated. Often it is a result of past trauma, undiagnosed or untreated mental health conditions like anxiety or depression, an unhappy home life, financial strain, or stress from work.

It is crucial to determine what factor or factors played into engaging in substance misuse in the first place. It is necessary to address this issue in order to heal from it, move forward, and avoid relapsing in the future.

Sometimes self-reflection can be uncomfortable or even painful. This is because it forces us to confront issues that may be difficult to think about. Maybe these are issues that have been buried deep inside for a long period of time. For example, some people who experience abuse in childhood choose to bury their emotions instead of confronting them. This is because they don’t yet know how to productively work through how they’re feeling. This can go on for many years, and many people turn to substance misuse to cope with the pain without truly realizing the deeper issue that is going on.

Different Ways to Practice Self-Reflection

One of the best ways to participate in self-reflection is through journaling. This allows a person to get all their emotions out onto paper and begin to process their thoughts in a positive way. The more a person understands themself, the better able they will be to address what needs to be worked on or changed.

Therapy is another great way to do this because it offers an outsider’s perspective. A therapist can help identify negative habits or behaviors that we tend to overlook. They can also help guide us through our emotions so that we can understand them better.

The Importance of Becoming Self-Aware

Some other techniques to try to introduce self-reflection into one’s daily life include yoga or some form of meditation. This doesn’t have to be fancy. A person doesn’t need a special mantra or candles or a bunch of essential oils. We can just sit on the ground in silence and allow ourselves to be fully present. Allow the thoughts to wash over us like waves without dwelling on each one too much. This is a great way to not only get grounded but to be more self-aware about our thought processes.

We all have inner monologues going on throughout the day. Many times we’re not even fully aware of them. Through increased self-reflection, we can become more aware of negative thought patterns within these monologues. For example, maybe a person engages in negative self-talk without realizing it. Maybe every time they make a mistake at work, don’t end up accomplishing some goal they had, or even make a human error, they mentally berate and beat themselves up.

We may doubt our intelligence or self-worth or demean ourselves. For some people, this can also be connected to their physical looks. Perhaps every time they look in the mirror, they can’t help but automatically focus on a perceived flaw or something they wish they could change about themselves.

Over time, this process can take a real toll on one’s mental health and can destroy an individual’s sense of self-esteem. The key to addressing this is to simply become more self-aware and learn how to identify these negative thought processes when they are actually occurring. When we are more self-aware, we can make it a habit to not only recognize but derail these thought processes. We can then replace them with something more positive.

Recovery from substance use disorder is the perfect time for self-reflection, which allows us to learn more about ourselves and who we really are. When we do this, we are more capable of identifying the things in our lives that need to be changed so we can work toward becoming a better version of ourselves. Part of this process is looking within yourself and identifying what caused you to use drugs or substances in the first place. If you’re not sure, that’s perfectly okay. At The Kimberly Center, our experienced team can help you work toward learning more about yourself and determining the root cause of your addiction through increased self-awareness. Call us at (855) 452-3683 today to learn more.