Upon entering holistic rehab, many people find themselves faced with a new concept – accountability. Addiction and a lack of responsibility are common pair. Someone who puts drugs or alcohol first often defers to their addicted state. The well-being of others or how their behavior impacts the people around them is not usually foremost on their minds. In rehab, individuals with addiction disorders learn accountability – to themselves and others.
Common Accountability Excuses
Accountability is demanding, beautiful, and absolutely necessary in a healthy life. But someone whose body and mind have become dependent on drugs or alcohol will struggle with repairing the cognitive link between substance abuse and accountability.
- “It’s the drugs’ fault.” Quite often, the person who abuses alcohol or drugs will blame their behaviors on the substances they’ve been using, creating a chicken or the egg scenario that can be difficult to unwind.
- “It’s someone else’s fault.” Drug abuse and alcohol abuse are illnesses, but addictions commonly begin because of a major event or trauma that happened in a person’s life. While putting the blame elsewhere makes it easier to abandon accountability, ignoring the realities of what occurred in the past is a major detriment to healing.
- “I can’t face it.” For many people, drugs and alcohol are used to manage their unease or to help them avoid dealing with certain emotions, scenarios, or memories. They would rather stay underwater than be accountable.
The Dangers of Avoiding Accountability in Recovery
Recovery demands that people face the situations, circumstances, emotions, and past that prompted them to turn to drugs or alcohol. To truly heal, confrontation of heavy feelings is unavoidable. Without accountability, the following problems are very likely:
- Develop a new addiction after treatment that’s different than what they were in rehab for so they can make up a fresh excuse for using that substance
- Deny previous drug or alcohol abuse when someone brings it up
- Act out or blame others if relapse occurs or recovery doesn’t go their way
- Take no responsibility for their actions when under the influence
- Fail to acknowledge the severity of their drug or alcohol problem
- Avoid crucial treatment steps that are known and proven to facilitate recovery
A large part of substance abuse is about hiding from true feelings. It’s a bandage on hurt and discomfort, a way to check out from reality and avoid all manner of responsibility and accountability. Without ongoing guidance and care like that offered in a customized rehab program, it is nearly impossible for someone with a substance abuse problem to accept accountability for their past, present, and future.
Making Accountability in Rehab a Priority
There is more to accountability than merely taking ownership of your actions, behaviors, or choices. It’s important for someone in holistic rehab to understand how every decision they make can help and hurt others – and take personal responsibility for having caused unrest, sadness, and stress for others by making the choices they have made.
Accountability is about being honest with yourself and others, and it’s a major priority if someone wants to stay sober permanently. For many who suffer with substance abuse, it’s easier to stay addicted than risk failing at sobriety. It’s easier to keep drinking or taking drugs than to accept repercussions for their actions. It’s easier to stay on the same unhealthy path than to have to acknowledge their weaknesses, make changes, start over, and consistently work at maintaining sobriety.
Being accountable for yourself and your actions is a conscious behavior and choice that, for many, must be learned, or relearned.
Take Responsibility and Embrace a Healthy Life in Holistic Rehab
In holistic rehab, accountability is taught, guided, and supported. Those in rehab will learn how to find accountability partners, write and honor accountability statements, create achievable goals, learn triggers and create coping strategies, develop a list of what can be lost without accountability, set schedules and goals, celebrate successes, and so much more.
Accountability is an ongoing effort, and so is sobriety. Sustained recovery requires sustained, consistent, concentrated treatment in a customized rehab environment.
