Recovery from addiction is about healing your relationship with yourself and the world, not about refraining from drugs, alcohol or any other addiction.
Our own minds can give us issues in various ways. For example, we have intrusive thoughts, excessive worry, and unrealistic expectations of ourselves.
Having a fixed attitude rather than a growth mindset is one of the most prevalent ways we make ourselves unhappy and impede our own progress.
Recently, Gallus Detox announced the importance of having a healthy mindset in addiction recovery, and we are so inspired by them that we thought of including you in the process. So, let’s find out more about them here.
What Is The Difference Between Fixed And Growth Mindset?
The difference between these two mindsets is simple. If you possess a fixed mindset, you believe that you were born with certain talents and capacities, such as intelligence, social skills, athletic skills, and so on, and that there is little you can do to improve your performance in any given area if you aren’t particularly gifted in that area.
A growth mindset is a conviction that you can enhance your talents and grow as a person with a bit of effort.
Of course, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that talent exists.
No matter how hard we try, not many of us will ever reach the heights of Elon Musk or LeBron James. On the contrary, many of us — perhaps the majority — have too little faith in our ability to make significant life changes.
To put it another way, most of us would be far better off if we tried to embrace a development attitude. This is especially true for those who are in recovery from addiction.
A Growth Mindset Can Help You Cope With Addiction Treatments
Treatment resistance is a typical issue. Many people have ‘terminal individuality’ . This is the belief that ‘since I’m not like everyone else here, I don’t have to engage in therapy in the same way they do.’
This is usually motivated by a desire to maintain your sense of self-identity. Everyone else is an ‘addict,’ whereas you are a fine person who has reached a snag. To truly participate in treatment is to accept that you’ve been lost and can’t find your way back.
This is a significant threat to someone with a fixed mindset. It implies that the foundation of your self-constructed building is flawed. Therefore, you want to dismiss any evidence that contradicts your position.
On the other hand, the thought of needing help is considerably more appealing to someone with a growth attitude. You’re not broken on a basic level; you just have some weak spots that need to be addressed, and you know that with consistent work, you can improve.
A Growth Mindset Opens Up New Possibilities
It can be difficult to envisage a better life when considering treatment or just getting started in recovery. You’re probably in a bad place; otherwise, you wouldn’t be thinking of making a huge life shift.
Your current circumstances colour all of your future prospects. This is especially true if you have a preconceived notion about anything. That’s because if you try to see yourself having a happier, more fulfilled life, you imagine yourself as the person you are now.
‘How am I meant to have a good life when I can hardly get out of bed, can’t get through the day without my addictive substance, am constantly plagued by worry, and so on?’ you might wonder.
When you don’t believe in growth potential, it’s a totally logical question to ask.
It’s simpler to believe that a better life is achievable if you have a development mentality, even if you don’t know-how. You may still be aware of all the difficulties in your path, but you may also recall overcoming other seemingly impossible challenges.
You might not be able to picture a better life as the person you are today, but you can see a better life as the person you can become.
A Growth Mindset Transforms Challenges into Opportunities
The ability to turn obstacles into opportunities is perhaps the most significant benefit of a growth mentality. Addiction recovery is not without its difficulties.
In fact, each stage of recovery — detox, treatment, therapy, moving home, staying on track with your recovery plan, and so on — presents its own set of difficulties.
Every problem is an opportunity to fail if you have a fixed perspective. You have your own collection of abilities and attributes, and if they aren’t sufficient to meet the obstacles you face, you’re out of luck. People will see that you aren’t up to par as a person.
If you have a growth mindset, on the other hand, your view of challenges is very different.
Rather than seeing them as rocks that will sink your ship, you see them as weights that will strengthen you. A challenge provides you with the opportunity to learn something new about yourself. It’s an opportunity to gain new talents and enhance your perseverance.
Every new problem you face during your rehabilitation is a chance for progress, and it will prepare you to face even greater challenges in the future.
One of the best ways to become more resilient to the problems you’ll face in addiction treatment is to adopt a growth attitude. It helps you be less fearful of change, picture a brighter life free of addictive substances, and turn every new obstacle into an opportunity to progress.
Final Thoughts on Addiction
There is a popular concept of a fixed and healthy mindset.
Certain people are more persistent in addressing issues than others, and it proves that the fundamental difference between these people and those who did not dare to go on was that the former had a ‘growth mindset,’ while the latter had a ‘fixed mindset.’
But, if your mindset is fixed and you have already come to terms with your situation of being an addict, then life will not seem worth living anymore.
This is why you should adopt a growth mindset and see how it changes your perception of beating addiction.
Photo by Hello I’m Nik on Unsplash.
This is a collaborative post supporting our Peace In Peace Out initiative.