Alcoholics and addicts tend to lie. We lie to protect our habit, we lie because we don’t want you to know what we have been up to. And we lie to protect the people we love, to stop them being hurt by what we know they will not like. We will tell you we have not had a drink when we have. we will tell you we have just had one or two when we have had many more. And we will tell you it is just alcohol when it is also drugs. We lie. Why is honesty important in recovery from addiction?
The impact of lies in a daily life
This probably means that each day we wake up feeling bad. Trying to remember what we did and said the day before. And trying to keep a consistent story going so we do not look as bad as we feel. We may be fearful and dying inside. But we will carry trotting out the same old lies to get through another day. And so it goes on day in and day out.
So when we decide to stop our old way of life and to get well, then we need to change a lot in our life. Including stopping the dishonesty and getting honest. If we go into a rehab clinic we will be expected to be honest about exactly where we are at in our life. Including how long we have been drinking and using for. How much we were drinking and using before we went into treatment. And what impact this has had on our life and on the people we love.
All our secrets that we have been protecting and the lifestyle that we might be ashamed of needs to be exposed. It is only by getting humble and real that we can start to put a new life together. In some treatment centres they will check out our story and our version of events with the people closest to us. To be sure that the full truth is exposed.
Honesty in recovery from addiction
Once we have got honest in treatment, then this honesty has to continue once we go back home to our family. We can no longer live with the lies. It will lead us back to drinking and using. Our conscience will trouble us. We need to be honest in all our affairs. There is a real sense of freedom waking up each day knowing that we have nothing to hide from the day(s) before. And no need to cover up anything we have done. This might involve facing up to difficult situations. But that is so much better than feeling guilty and ashamed. And worrying that our lies will be uncovered. That leads to relapse.
Many of us find that the 12 Step Programme is invaluable in helping us to get to this honest and more comfortable place in our lives. Once we have achieved this, then completing a step 10 each day (inventory of the day which covers what we have done in the day which is good and bad and that needs addressing) can keep us on track. Life is so much easier when we live it with honesty!
Honesty is an intrinsic part of recovery from addiction.