Self-Awareness

What a Drug Rehab Should Have: Achieving Self Awareness

Addiction to drugs or alcohol seriously affects one’s self-awareness. Self-awareness is the state of having a clear perception of your own strengths and weaknesses, knowing your own beliefs and motivations and having control of your emotions. Addiction takes this all away, and without self-awareness, an addict experiences a severe downward spiral, with his (or her) life wildly out of control.

The lack of conscious knowledge of his own personal power and his inability to control his emotions impacts his life negatively. One may only be left with the cravings for the next pill or drink. Without any focus of attention, emotions or reactions, the addict is not able to determine where he wants to go in life. He is unhappy and unable to communicate effectively. Most importantly, he is not even able to realize how much trouble he is in or what dangers await him.

The Importance of Self-Awareness in Addiction Recovery

The World Health Organization’s Department of Mental Health has identified self-awareness as one of the basic life skills relevant across cultures that are required to deal with the demands and challenges of everyday life and thus would be important in any addiction recovery process.

Additionally, SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) states that recovery from addiction is based on the individual’s unique needs and strengths, his goals and preferences. Without self-awareness, these values are not easily available. With SAMHSA also estimating around 23.5 million Americans who have chronic substance abuse, the problem is obvious. Self-awareness is a life skill any recovering addict must have.

Recovering Self-Awareness Vital to Recovery from Addiction

With the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, life skill training fortifies a recovering addict with the skills necessary to live a drug-free life and cope with everyday living. Tony is one who was addicted to drugs and he knows how the life skills learned at Narconon gave him a new life without drugs. He said, “My drug use affected my family and my friends and everybody. It was hurting them. They were in pain seeing me acting the way I was acting. I didn’t see it but they did.” Then he added, “When I finished the Narconon program, I had a better understanding of who I was, I could communicate better with everybody, I had more energy, I was happier as a person.”

Narconon restores the ability to be aware of self, control emotions, communicate and live a productive and fulfilling life without drugs. Gaining the life skills necessary for a happy life gives a recovering addict back the control he lacked before.

Next: Self-Esteem

Go back to Guidelines on Effective Recovery

(To preserve privacy, the photo does not show an actual Narconon student or graduate.)