Why It’s Important to Be Honest During Detox From Alcohol

Honesty is always the best policy and that is especially true when undergoing addiction treatment. Aside from the fact honesty is a respected moral characteristic, it is essential for someone in therapy to learn to be honest with others as well as themselves in order to achieve a fulfilling life of sobriety. It is an unfortunate fact that addiction can cause devastating harm to a person’s reputation due to the nature of the illness and the misconceptions surrounding it.

Overcoming Dishonesty in Addiction Treatment

When a person is in the clutches of addiction, there is usually plenty of dishonesty involved. The main reason is society’s negative perception of addicts which can make sufferers reluctant to bring about conflict with people close to them, preferring to hide behind untruths in an attempt to placate them.

However, the most dangerous kind of dishonesty in addiction is when someone is lying to themselves. Being in denial that a problem exists is one of the biggest obstacles to seeking treatment for alcohol detox, making honesty an integral part of the recovery process.

How Honesty is encouraged in Detox from Alcohol

• It’s impossible to completely change one’s personality and the characteristics developed over a lifetime in a short period of time. Learning to open up and become more honest is a process that needs to be encouraged, particularly to detox from alcohol. One of the first stages is admitting to a dishonest act or statement as soon afterward as possible. Identifying and recognizing dishonest behavior is the first step to eliminating it, just as admitting to addiction is the first step to recovery.
• Attaching a sense of pride to being honest is a great way of incorporating it as a characteristic and it can be useful to view it metaphorically as a muscle that is strengthened the more it is exercised.
• Many treatment programs to detox alcohol recommend keeping a journal as a way to consider and track behavioral patterns. This allows patients to review past mistakes and also to find a means of expression for what they are going through. Seeing things in writing gives something credence and reduces the opportunity for self-delusion.
• Understanding that lack of honesty is the biggest threat to successful natural alcohol detox is crucial for an individual to recognize the benefits of opening up. Learning the value of honesty as a characteristic gives a firm foundation to build a new life of sobriety on.
• It isn’t uncommon for people to feel there’s a big difference between a ‘white lie’ and a complete untruth. However, someone in a program to detox alcohol has to learn that there is no distinction between the two and there are no ‘grades’ of dishonesty. Allowing the opportunity to bend the rules with a few throwaway untruths is an option that can lead to a relapse back into the dishonest behavior associated with addiction.

Conclusion

Dishonesty is a very common relapse trigger and can signal that someone is returning to ineffective coping mechanisms to deal with daily life. Perhaps the most common reason behind relapse after natural alcohol detox is an overwhelming feeling that the future is going to be riddled with challenges that will be impossible to deal with. This state of mind can lead to a recovering alcoholic’s return to a life of dishonesty and denial and ultimately, relapse back into addictive behavior.

By encouraging open and honest communication in the rehabilitation process, sufferers can experience the positive benefits and in time, they can shed any overhanging fears that others will judge them more harshly if they know the truth. Learning to trust themselves as well as others is an essential tool for coping with life beyond rehabilitation.

Addiction is a very lonely journey for many sufferers and often made worse by dishonesty and denial, which also leads to a sense of isolation and even depression. It isn’t just the alcohol that needs to be detoxed from an addict’s life but also the dishonest behavior that accompanies addiction in order to enjoy a fulfilling life in recovery.

His House Rehab offers industry leading Alcohol Detox Treatment Programs. We were founded in 1994 and we base our Drug and Alcohol Treatment programs on five key principles: commitment, honesty, integrity, respect, and service. These five principles guide us in all that we do and all the care we provide. Contact us today to see how we can help you or your loved one.