Why Self-Awareness is Important During Heroin Addiction Treatment

Self-awareness is an essential component that is needed to succeed in one’s heroin drug abuse treatment and recovery. Overcoming addiction does not only entail physical sobriety, but learning to discover oneself in order to prevent the triggers in recovery.

When you know yourself better, you know your triggers that will prevent you from having a slip or a relapse after heroin substance abuse treatment. When you know yourself, you hold accountable for your actions and behaviors, which is a good sign of heroin addiction treatment and recovery.

Self-awareness in Recovery

Self-awareness is the ability to know your own weaknesses, strengths, beliefs, motivations and the ability to manage your emotions. During active addiction, the individual loses this trait, leading to a downward spiral. Without self-awareness, the life of a heroin user will be full of miseries.

When you’re not aware of yourself, you are more inclined to relapse following heroin abuse treatment because you don’t know your triggers and urges. On the other hand, when you know yourself, you know when you will get stressed so you will find ways to cope up.

When you know your weaknesses, you are more likely to stay in recovery. Knowing your weaknesses will help you determine when to use coping techniques and ask help.

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Department of Mental Health includes self-awareness as a basic life skill that is required to have a better life. This is also essential following heroin addiction treatment.

Moreover, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) believes that recovery from addiction is founded on the recovering individual’s needs, strengths, goals and preferences. If they don’t have self-awareness, it will be hard for them to face their life after treatment for heroin addiction.

How to Develop Self-awareness?

Knowing yourself can be a difficult thing to do, but the way to discover yourself is to ask questions. For instance, ask yourself why you’re using heroin or why you left your family. This way, you will discover what are the reasons behind your actions.

Another way that you can become more self-aware is to attend a therapy during or after your heroin addiction treatment. Your therapist can help you assess yourself and your life, which can help you understand what’s going on in your life.

How to Develop Self-Awareness in Recovery?

· Watch out for behavioral patterns. One way that you can develop your self-awareness is by noticing your behavioral patterns. Following heroin addiction cure, addicts have relapse signs that you’ll notice when they return to their addiction. By becoming aware of these patterns, you are more able to break from the cycle of addiction.

· Watch out for physical responses. When you encounter the triggers, have you noticed the warning signs such as headache, stomachache, rapid heart rate, fatigue, or tensed shoulders? Identifying them can help you apply the coping mechanisms to prevent a relapse following heroin addiction treatment.

· Understand your beliefs. Are the beliefs that you believe have certain basis, or are they backed by scientific evidence? Knowing whether your beliefs is true or not is important in recovery.