When someone else has wronged you, is your first instinct forgiveness? Most of us know that another person’s mistake is not intentional. It’s usually the result of haste, self-preservation or despair. We can forgive others by letting go of feelings of anger or resentment and recognizing their good qualities.
Forgiving ourselves isn’t always so easy. Self-forgiveness is critical to receiving treatment, because so many people blame and judge themselves for their addiction. The sooner you can make peace with yourself, the sooner you can move into the next phase of Recovery.
What Is Self-Forgiveness?
Self-forgiveness means forgiving yourself for whatever mistakes, real or imagined, you believe you have committed. For example, you may be angry with yourself for not seeking treatment for your addiction sooner. Self-forgiveness means accepting and moving forward without self-recrimination.
Blaming and hating yourself makes the treatment process harder. Treating yourself with kindness by self-forgiving and moving on allows you to make strides in Recovery.
The Importance of Self-Forgiveness
Self-forgiveness means accepting responsibility for your actions without making excuses or beating yourself up. This is critical to getting treatment for your addiction. Someone caught in an endless cycle of self-blame will not be able to make the changes needed for a sustainable Recovery.
Forgiving yourself is similar to loving yourself. It can feel hard to do after years of treating yourself poorly. But you get so much more out of treating yourself well. Addiction can feel like a form of self-punishment. Take away this dangerous instinct, and you can free yourself through Recovery.
Tips for Forgiving Yourself
It may take some practice to forgive yourself for wrongdoings, big and small. Use these tips to make self-forgiveness easier:
- Make up for any mistakes that have impacted others
- Remember how you have grown and how you will grow in the future
- Open yourself up to change instead of closing off
- Feel remorse for your actions, but don’t dwell on them
One key to moving on after you forgive yourself is to focus on the positives. What can you learn from this situation to make things better in the future? Lifelong learning makes us all stronger. We build on what we experience, and we become better people for it.
Forgive Yourself Quotes
Quotes can help motivate you and allow you to see pathways to self-forgiveness. Here are a few inspiring quotes about forgiving yourself:
- “Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness.” ― Steve Maraboli
- “Forgiving means you have chosen not to dwell on the matter anymore; you have moved on with your life.” ― Idowu Koyenikan
- “You cannot forgive just once. Forgiveness is a daily practice.” ― Sonia Rumzi
Start Your Recovery Journey With 7 Summit Pathways
You can forgive yourself for mistakes in the past and setbacks that may have contributed to your addiction. We can help you through this difficult time with a multidimensional, personalized approach to your Recovery.
Reach out to 7 Summit Pathways Treatment and Recovery Center to request more information or make an appointment.