Accountability in recovery is a significant attribute for maintaining sobriety; it helps you make wise and responsible decisions. Success with sobriety is much harder to achieve when you do not accept responsibility for your actions. However, sometimes you might want to escape the reality of your responsibilities and revert to old habits because it feels comfortable and secure; this is especially true in early recovery. However, this can affect you at any point in your recovery. Understand that recovery is all about transformation and that to move forward, you must take accountability for your past and present actions.
Share Your Sobriety with Loved Ones
Sharing your sobriety with friends and family helps create transparency about your recovery. While you do not need to disclose every detail, telling the ones you love and trust that you are trying to stay sober helps strengthen your support system and make decisions within this environment. When others understand that you have found a solution that helps you stay sober and that you’re trying your hardest to stick with it, others will be motivated to help you. Further, it becomes much more challenging to return to drinking if your loved ones know you’re working toward a sober life.
Expressing your sobriety concerns and goals can be challenging, and you might not initially feel comfortable revealing them to your loved ones. Creating a personal statement with yourself can help you work up the confidence to tell others. The statement should include why you’re choosing to be accountable and what risks you will face if you don’t keep this promise to yourself. Deciding to be accountable is an intimate part of recovery that only you can choose to make. However, when you choose to make this decision, you embody a sense of empowerment and will likely feel more motivated to share your sobriety with loved ones.
Be Honest with Yourself and Others
Exercising honesty is often easier said than done, especially if you are not used to being honest because you have spent years trying to conceal your addiction. When under the weight of addiction, lying can become a part of life. Sobriety is all about being honest with yourself, and you display honesty the day you decide to get help. If a friend or family member asks why you no longer drink or where you have been, being honest helps create accountability in recovery. Honesty also enables you to understand that you no longer need to hide who you are or the choices you make. Being honest also helps you feel proud about how far you have come and focused on where you’re going.
Partner Up with a Peer to Improve Accountability in Recovery
There is no better defense against cravings, impulses, and triggers than a strong support system consisting of your peers. Take advantage of AA, NA, and other 12-step programs to meet others that share your experiences and thoroughly understand what you are going through. Your peers help remind you that you are not alone. These social settings can also infuse a sense of empowerment and motivation into your recovery. Partnering up with peers is a great way to uphold accountability.
Start by setting up a plan with others to keep you connected. You can even schedule times within your circle when you or others are available to talk. Sometimes just knowing that a friend is available to talk to is enough to bring you comfort in times when you feel like isolating yourself. There is also a shared sense of responsibility and leadership. Helping another in need enables you to stay more accountable to your needs because you feel motivated to be a pillar of support for others and therefore don’t want to make decisions that harm your sobriety.
Write Down What You Have to Lose
When you are in the throes of addiction, it is common to feel like you have nothing to lose. In sobriety, you build so much for yourself that you begin to understand your sense of purpose. However, sometimes you need to remind yourself about how much you have gained. Keeping a journal to write down the things important to you daily or weekly reminds you that you have a lot in your life. You can begin by simply listing out what sobriety has given you: relationships, career, confidence, and so on. Over time you can refine the list, but the idea is to keep your mind positive and remind yourself how hard you worked to get where you are. Then, when you’re feeling doubtful, look at these lists and ask yourself if you are willing to risk what you have because of a passing impulse? Remember, your life would be significantly different if you were still using.
Lacking accountability for yourself can make it much more challenging to recover and lead a healthy life. In treatment, you gain the tools and coping skills to make sure you learn how to be accountable for your actions so you can live your best life. If you ever need extra help and feel like your still struggling, New Hope Ranch in Manor, Texas, is always available. To learn more, reach out to New Hope Ranch today by calling (737) 600-8565.