Failure happens for everyone at some point. It’s part of life and even occurs when fighting addiction. If you’re on the road to recovery, it can be tempting to view any type of failure as a bad thing or even a total loss.
What’s important is that you learn from failure and don’t let it knock you down for good. While failure may be inevitable, learning from failure is a conscious choice. Here are a few things to keep in mind along the way.
Prepare Your Mind for War
If you have a relapse while seeking sobriety, you may see momentary failure as losing the battle. You may even be tempted to throw in the towel and resolve you’ll be bound to addiction for the rest of your life. However, keep in mind that you’re in a war, and wars have many battles. One relapse is a single battle, but it’s not the end of the war.
Some of your battles will be fought daily, hourly or minute-by-minute. What matters most is that you’re still standing at the end, having learned from your failures and still on the way to ultimate victory.
Acknowledge Failure When It Happens
Don’t be afraid to acknowledge failure for what it is. Don’t sugarcoat it, but don’t be too hard on yourself, either. Ask yourself what caused the failure and try to reverse engineer the steps that led to it. This will make you more aware of your mental and emotional state when met with the same temptation again.
Develop a Plan of Attack
Recognizing the cause of failure will help you identify solutions and develop a plan to avoid making the same mistake in the future. Don’t be afraid to ask a therapist for help with this part. The journey to self-discovery is best taken with the aid of a compassionate, experienced guide who’s been in your shoes. Preparing for the next battle while your head is clear will make your plan of attack more thoughtful and precise.
Know Your Enemy
As you begin learning from failure, you’ll become more aware of the real battle you’re fighting. While addiction is a brutal enemy, it can be overcome. Relying on addiction treatment experts can help you learn more about your addiction and the underlying impulses that drive it.
Treatment experts can also be a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on as you uncover mental health issues and discover practical ways to fight addiction at the root. Knowing your enemy and its common tactics will propel you into further victories along the road to recovery.
Call 12 Keys for Help Learning From Failure During Recovery
The war against addiction is a very difficult one to win. Sadly, some people never come out victorious because they’re too afraid or ashamed to reach out for help. Don’t let fear of failure, guilt or shame keep you from getting the help you need.
Even if you’ve made the same mistake nine hundred times in pursuit of sobriety, you can start learning from failure today with the help of 12 Keys. Our compassionate counselors are standing by 24/7 to help you take the first step on a new path to recovery. Contact 12 Keys Rehab today!