There are many costs associated with addiction, and these costs stretch far beyond finances. Arguably, one of the most destructive costs of addiction is a lost sense of identity. If you are struggling with substance abuse or substance use disorder (SUD), your identity has likely become entangled with alcohol and drug use and the associated behaviors you’ve adopted to feed your cravings. Yet, with professional treatment, you will have the opportunity to embark on a journey of self-discovery to nurture your interests and personality traits that make you who you are. Treatment marks the beginning of becoming your authentic self in sobriety.
At Bright Mission Recovery, we are committed to helping individuals overcome their substance abuse to not just obtain sobriety but also to provide them with the opportunity to become their most authentic selves. Alcohol and drug addictions can make it difficult for you to know your identity and trust yourself, but with sobriety and professional support, you can strengthen authenticity in your long-term healing. No matter who you are, what you do, or what your treatment goals may be, we at Bright Mission Recovery are here to help you begin the journey of discovery.
Understanding Your Sense of Self
Before learning how to become your most authentic self in sobriety, it is important to define and understand the dynamics of the “self” and associated sense of identity. As explained in EMBO Reports, “A feeling of ‘self’ is fundamental to human experience. We know that we cause our own actions and that we are the authors of our thoughts; we perceive that we are the same person across time. This experience of self—of being able to distinguish ourselves from others—is so fundamental that we are hardly aware of it.”
Precisely, the American Psychological Association (APA) defines sense of self as “an individual’s feeling of identity, uniqueness, and self-direction.” It is a combination of our values, abilities, interests, roles, and behaviors that make us a whole and unique person who is different from others. As we grow and age, strengthening our sense of self is an innate developmental task. Nearly every experience we have, every emotion we feel, and every person we meet influences our sense of self.
By the time our brains are fully developed and matured (around our mid-to-late 20s), most of us will have a relatively stable sense of self. Yet, many things can interfere with a person’s sense of self at any age. Meanwhile, both mental health disorders and substance abuse are large contributors to an unstable sense of self.
How Addiction Interferes With Your Authentic Self
On the one hand, as highlighted in the Journal of Drug Issues, low self-esteem and negative self-perception are significant risk factors both for initial substance use and relapse throughout recovery. In this way, a distorted or impaired sense of self can make individuals vulnerable to using alcohol and other drugs to self-medicate.
Yet, repeated alcohol and other drug use impair brain structure and functioning. As a result, those who engage in substance use can (and often do) develop worsening cognitive distortions and struggle to effectively regulate their emotions when sober. You may feel as if you are nothing without substance use or that you can’t possibly thrive in life because of your past. Meanwhile, your negative self-talk is likely contributing to cyclical feelings of guilt and shame.
It is essential to remember that your authentic self is not trying to convince you of these things; rather, your addiction is. Addiction is both dehumanizing and agonizing. It wants you to feel powerless and out of control. Fortunately, professional treatment can help you work through issues of low self-esteem and a lost sense of identity. While sobriety will provide you with a clean slate, participation in treatment will ensure that you have the tools and support that you need to effectively venture on the journey to becoming your most authentic self.
A Peek Into the Journey of Discovering Your Most Authentic Self
Whether you have just decided to commit to treatment or are already working a treatment program, there are many things to be excited about as you embark on your journey of discovering your most authentic self. During treatment, you will have the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of treatment modalities to, ultimately, help you:
- Identify the person you want to be
- Develop and strengthen your values
- Communicate openly and honestly
- Strengthen your self-confidence and self-esteem
- Effectively regulate and manage your emotions
- Remove harmful assumptions and expectations about the discovery process
- Overcome past trauma and associated destructive behaviors
- Apply meaning to your experiences
- Grow compassion for yourself and others
With professional guidance and support, you will feel empowered to apply the lessons and skills you are learning in therapy actively to your daily life. In addition, you will be encouraged to prioritize self-care, mindfulness practices, and solitude to create space for your authentic self to blossom.
At Bright Mission Recovery, we are devoted to meeting each of our clients where they are on their journey to self-discovery and becoming their most authentic selves. With individualized treatment, we can customize our treatment plans to fit the unique needs and recovery goals of each client we work with. This means that if you have additional interests, concerns, or other factors that you’d like to address during your journey, we can make this happen successfully.
Alcohol and other drug use can strip you of a healthy sense of self. Thus, becoming your most authentic self in sobriety is a process that can be facilitated with professional guidance and support in treatment. By participating in psychotherapies and other holistic modalities, each individual will have the opportunity to discover the person they want to be, the obstacles that stand in the way of getting there, and the efforts and resources that bring about purpose and motivation for continued discovery. At Bright Mission Recovery, we empower our clients to become their most authentic selves by promoting self-expression and creativity in treatment. Learn more about how we can help you heal by calling (747) 444-3284 today.