Step ten of the twelve steps reads, “continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it”. At this point many people scoff. After enduring the hefty process of steps four through nine- taking inventory, putting one’s guts out on the table, analyzing them, cleaning them up, making amends for them when necessary- it is difficult to be told to do it again, every day. Commonly a mistake is made that the steps only need to be done once, that the ‘steps’ of recovery itself only needs to be done once. When it comes to alcoholism, addiction and other behavioral disorders, the issues themselves are ongoing. Alcoholism and addiction do not exactly go away over time. Rather, new habits are formed to manage their powerful effects. This management will take place in all different levels at different times in a recovering person’s life. However, it will always take place. In order not to return to old destructive ways, action needs to be taken every day to build those habits for positive action.
Taking personal inventory and making prompt apologies are just some of the ways to continue taking action in life instead of letting the hard work done in recovery slip by the wayside. By always keeping oneself in check, they can be in a consistent state of awareness, able to tell when old behaviors or thinking patterns may be creeping in. Doing this helps to stay in forward motion with the flow of life.
Admitting one’s wrongdoing promptly is another important component for continuing on in a life being learned to live with a foundation of recovery. Accountability is just one small part of making immediate apologies. In the years spent distracted by drugs and alcohol, likely little accountability was taken for how one’s behaviors affect others. When lies were told, hateful things were said, or fights were fought unfairly, rarely yielding was the addict or alcoholic to their determined selfish ways. Instead, they likely stuck to their guns, refusing to apologize for themselves or to anyone else. Acting this way in recovery can raise feelings of guilt and shame- two toxic emotions for recovery. By acting in opposition to that, however, making prompt apologies offers the chance to be instantaneously accountable and have humility.
Recovery is not an episodic treatment but an ongoing process. The Villa Treatment Center wants your recovery process to last a lifetime. Find out more information on our residential, detox and extended care programs by calling 1-818-639-7160 today.