None of us are perfect, and we have made mistakes and choices that we regret. Everyone has been hurt or wronged by someone at some point. If someone has hurt you, you know how hard it can be to extend forgiveness. If you have hurt or wronged another, you understand how good it feels to be forgiven. If you are in recovery, you probably have regrets about the pain you’ve caused others, the damage you’ve caused to relationships, and how you’ve let yourself down. You may also be hanging on to anger and resentment about past events that harmed you and caused you pain.
At Gulf Breeze Recovery, our holistic therapy program focuses on healing all of the parts of you damaged by addiction: the body, mind, and spirit. Unlike traditional 12-step programs that focus on acknowledging your powerlessness, our unique non-12-step approach to treatment empowers you by providing the tools and support to help you find forgiveness for others and yourself. Call us today at 833.551.2304 to learn more.
How to Discover and Embrace Emotional Healing
Emotional healing involves acknowledging, accepting, integrating, and processing painful or traumatic life experiences and the powerful emotions that accompany them. Emotional healing can include mindfulness, empathy, self-regulation, self-compassion, self-acceptance, and forgiveness of yourself and others.
Many people try to control the process of emotional healing by minimizing pain and ignoring or suppressing emotions through the use of drugs and alcohol, which not only inhibits emotional healing but frequently leads to the development of substance use disorders.
When you are ready to begin your healing journey, start by asking yourself these questions:
- How has not healing impacted your life?
- What steps are you willing to take to heal?
- Are you ready to sit through discomfort as part of the healing process?
- How has not healing served you?
- What do you want your life to look like after you’ve healed?
- How will you know when you are healed?
- What can you do to help yourself through your healing journey?
It is critical to remember that healing begins with forgiveness. When you can forgive yourself and others, you break down the barriers to emotional healing.
What Is the Importance of Forgiveness in Recovery?
C.S.Lewis once said: “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive,” which speaks to the complexity of the notion of forgiveness. Many of us tend to get stuck in our memories, especially the painful ones. The more we think about them, the stronger the association becomes, and the harder it is to let go and find forgiveness.
As challenging as finding forgiveness can be, it is essential to recovery. To truly address the underlying causes of your substance use disorder, you will need not only to forgive those who have wronged you but seek forgiveness from those whom you have wronged and forgive yourself.
Forgiveness is essential to successful recovery because you hold grudges without it. Holding grudges is dangerous for those in recovery for several reasons, including:
- You can use the grudge as justification for relapsing
- Being caught up in negativity prevents you from making progress in recovery
- You are the person most likely to be negatively impacted by the grudge
- Continuing to blame others prevents you from developing accountability
- Holding on to a grudge prevents serenity and emotional sobriety
- Persistent anger and resentment result in high cortisol levels and a constant state of stress
Forgiveness also has multiple significant physical health benefits, including lower blood pressure, a stronger immune system, reduced levels of stress hormones, and fewer headaches, digestive issues, and back pain.
Contact Gulf Breeze Recovery Today
At Gulf Breeze Recovery, we understand the importance of forgiveness for successful recovery. Through our unique, non-12-step approach to treating substance use disorders and dual diagnosis, we utilize evidence-based therapies in conjunction with our holistic therapy program to provide complete recovery for the mind, body, spirit, and soul. Contact our team today to learn more about your treatment options in our beautiful, tranquil setting on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Reach out online or call 833.551.2304.
