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The Impact of Shame on Addiction
Drug or alcohol addiction can lead to your mental health being destroyed – be it the cause or the result. If you feel ashamed of addiction, it can hinder your recovery journey and make your substance abuse worse.
Addiction can make you feel at your absolute lowest simply because addiction causes your brain chemistry to change. Substance abuse affects the way your brain works, which can lead to mental illnesses such as depression or psychosis. But the impact of addiction on your mental health goes beyond just a chemical change.
Even with how far we have come as a society and how we now know that addiction is a mental health condition, not a bad habit, it doesn’t always change how others or yourself may view it.
A lot of people living with an addiction struggle with internalised shame. It’s not uncommon for them to view their substance abuse as something terrible they are doing.
This way of thinking is not helping anyone. The simple truth is that you can’t shame yourself or anyone else into overcoming an addiction. Instead, it requires complex medical treatments to even start the process.
When you feel ashamed about your addiction, the only thing you are doing is causing yourself damage. It can also be considered a mental form of self-harm. You feel you are doing something bad and trying to mentally punish yourself.
Shame can easily lead to you experiencing depression, paranoia and anxiety. It can even cause you to lose relationships and job opportunities. But there is something else you need to remember – shame can actually lead to an addiction.
Internalised shame can massively impact your entire life. It can cause you to become withdrawn and gives you a negative self-image. Often people living this way turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with this shame. They try to numb the pain, but they only give themselves something else to feel ashamed of.
Overcoming Shame Through Addiction Treatments
A big part of treatment for your addiction involves retraining your brain. As a result, we will take those negative thoughts and make them into something positive. We will show you how to reframe your negative thoughts into productive ones.
For example, if you tell yourself that you are lazy and ruining your life, you need to respond with no, you are struggling right now. Some things will be harder to do than others, but you can get back on track to where you want to be.
Small, easy-to-achieve goals are key to this. It is easy to feel shame if you set yourself to run a marathon or get a promotion. Instead, you need to realise that cleaning your dishes, showering, or avoiding substance abuse is an achievement. Celebrate the small things so the big things don’t seem so hard.
Self-compassion is a skill you will be taught to help deal with your addiction. It often comes down to if you would treat a loved one the way you are treating yourself. When you start thinking of yourself as someone you love, it can become easier to say nice things about yourself.
At Nova Recovery, we can offer you these skills through practical advice and therapy. A good self-image is taught, it doesn’t just happen.
One of the best things we have found is joining a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. When you surround yourself with people who have struggled the same way you have, it makes it easier to cope and manage your problems.
Support groups also help you to reflect on how you talk about yourself because you are with real people who know what you are going through. They know when you are shaming yourself and how to avoid doing it again. They are a community to help you, so take advantage of them.
Self Discovery and Acceptance
One of the best ways to deal with your internalised shame is to really get to know yourself. Addiction, for most people, is a way to cope with something else that is going on. For example, if you have spent most of your life exhausted where simple takes felt impossible, you may have turned to drugs to force yourself through the day. But this doesn’t get to why you are feeling this way.
You could be living with depression, chronic fatigue or insomnia, just to name a few options. By understanding the reason behind how you are feeling, you will be introduced to alternative treatment options that don’t rely on substance abuse.
Another part of self-discovery also involves figuring out your own social prejudices. Many people who look down on the disabled, the homeless or the LGBTQ community may feel shame when they realise they fall into these groups.
Substance abuse is then used to numb this feeling. Only through acceptance of yourself can you overcome these prejudices and take power back from your shame. This is a process involving therapy where you will work with others to unpack why you are feeling this way and what can be done about it.
How to Overcome Shame and Addiction
It can be hard to cope if you feel ashamed of your addiction, but it is possible to heal – you just need to take things one step at a time. You are worthy of help, and you are more than deserving of a good life. You just need to set yourself a nice and easy goal. Once you achieve that, set another one.
Give yourself something to constantly work towards that you know you will be able to do. Small victories will help quiet that cruel voice in your head and help you to start healing from shame.
Surround yourself with loved ones. A community around you can give you more love and support than you realise. Get involved in hobbies and fun activities as a way to get out there and make some friends. You should also have a conversation with yourself.
What do you want from life? What do you want to give you purpose? This can be tricky, but sometimes the best place to start is by listing what you don’t want to do. Once you know that, you can start listing other things to try.
To maintain good mental health and avoid shame, you must be willing to work. You are worthy of the effort you put in. If you require specialist treatment for your addiction, Nova Recovery is a private rehab centre that can help. It is common to feel ashamed of your addiction, but we can help you here. Just call on 01475 303998 to find out more.
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John Gillen
- Author
- Last updated: September 8, 2023
John has travelled extensively around the world, culminating in 19 years’ experience looking at different models. He is the European pioneer of NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) treatment to Europe in 2010; and recently back from the USA bringing state of the art Virtual Reality Relapse Prevention and stress reduction therapy. His passion extends to other metabolic disturbances and neurodegenerative diseases. The journey continues. In recent times, John has travelled to Russia to study and research into a new therapy photobiomudulation or systemic laser therapy working with NAD+ scientists and the very best of the medical professionals in the UK and the USA, together with Nadcell, Bionad Hospitals own select Doctors, nurses, dieticians and therapists. Johns’ passion continues to endeavour to bring to the UK and Europe new developments with NAD+ Therapy in preventive and restorative medicine and Wellness. In 2017 John Gillen was made a visiting Professor at the John Naisbitt university in Belgrade Serbia.