Individuals who suffer from addiction, more times than not, have no idea about being responsible for their behaviors and choices in life. When someone enters into recovery, it is paramount that they recreate themselves. Their previous way of living has been ineffective, and has caused chaos and harm in their own lives as well as the lives of others. Addiction centers in the mind. Therefore the importance of teaching these individuals to change the way they view things, and thus them changing their own behavior, is crucial for long term recovery.
The issue with addiction is that the substances being abused are only the tip of the iceberg. What about the lying, stealing, manipulating, and other destructive behaviors that accompany addiction? Many people are aware getting the drugs and alcohol out of the system is only the beginning. If it where that simple there would be no need for treatment centers or recovery programs. Recovery is about taking responsibility for one’s actions, both past and present. In order to do this the behaviors mentioned above must be confronted, and the individual must learn that behaving in their previous manner will get them nowhere in life and will more than likely lead them to relapse.
Bringing about this change is not easy, but it starts with learning to hold oneself accountable. Since the individual entering recovery has no idea how to do that, it is important that others around them do so until they learn personal accountability. This is where long term treatment comes into play; especially a facility that believes accountability is crucial to one’s long-term recovery. The process usually involves their peers as well as the staff confronting the behaviors in a direct, yet therapeutic manner. If someone is simply told they are not behaving appropriately, but is not explained to why, nor given an alternate method of handling the situation the individual will not internalize the importance of changing themselves.
When an individual learns personal accountability, they are able to handle life successfully. They no longer engage in harmful behaviors, they are able to have effective meaningful relationships with others, and they are able to face situations in an appropriate manner, handling them without the need to rely on others.
