Admitting fault can be hard. It is often something we aim to avoid or put off. The truth is that admitting we have made a mistake or are in the wrong can be intimidating. Depending on your personality, it may be utterly torturous.
In treatment and recovery, you will encounter this vital step as part of your journey. Step Five in the 12-Step process addresses this specifically. You are to admit fault to God or a higher power, yourself, and to another human being.
While uncomfortable, there is great power in the process. It can be quite liberating to come clean and confess your missteps that have led to or contributed to your addiction. To heal and move forward, you must come to terms with your wrongs and start fresh.
God
Admitting your faults to God or a higher power, for some, may come naturally. If you are religious, you may be familiar with the process of confessing your sins. Maybe you grew up practicing this. If so, you may also know that God is forgiving and provides unconditional love.
For those less familiar with the gospel or the practice of prayer, this may take a little more practice. It can be daunting to turn over control to something larger than yourself, let alone communicate and disclose your closet of skeletons to this higher being. Telling God the truth can be scary. You may have fear of rejection or punishment.
What do you gain from admitting your faults to God? You gain a listening ear that is non-judgemental and always available. God offers a safe space for relating your deepest regrets and needs and can offer hope and encouragement along your journey to recovery.
Yourself
Sometimes, admitting faults to yourself can be just as difficult as admitting fault to others. At times, we tend to dismiss negativity when it comes to self-reflection. Memories you are most ashamed of may try to bury themselves deep down in hopes of erasing any trace of those uncomfortable experiences.
To fully heal, it is important to process your faults and mistakes to learn from them and improve. It may take some time to process and think them over to achieve this goal. In addition, journaling and writing down your thoughts can be helpful.
Another Person
After admitting your faults to God and yourself, you might think that confessing them to another person should be a little bit easier. For some, this can be the case. For others, a sense of pride or shame can make this task especially difficult.
As mentioned earlier, sometimes writing down your thoughts or what you want to say can help. Prepare for the conversation ahead of time by making sure you are clearing your mind and heart of all that needs to be addressed.
Often, this conversation will take place with your sponsor. This is someone who can relate to what you have been through and what you are currently experiencing in treatment and recovery. This is a person you can trust and feel confident sharing your thoughts and experiences. Learn more about finding or connecting with a sponsor quickly and easily here.
Healing
How does the admission of faults help you heal? While it may feel like a huge burden beforehand, the process of confessing your faults can be very freeing. You may find that you feel a huge weight lifted off of your shoulders after having these conversations. Carrying shame, guilt, and secrets can be burdensome. These feelings can often serve as barriers for many who want to seek help for addiction. Some faults may be so consuming and guilt-producing that they only encourage continued substance abuse. Furthermore, these faults may continue to push down negative feelings and memories.
Part of moving forward in recovery is processing and learning from your past. You cannot learn and grow without first understanding where you went wrong. Begin by first searching for your faults through self-reflection. Some may be at the forefront of your mind while others may be a little further back in a distant memory.
By admitting faults to God, yourself, and another person, you are proving that you understand where you have gone wrong and recognize what you need to work on. This is a huge piece of the puzzle when it comes to recovery. There is great healing in this step of the recovery process. Admitting faults requires courage and conviction, and a level of honesty that will aid in your healing throughout the rest of your journey.
Step Five of the 12-Step process refers to admitting your faults to God, yourself, and another human being. In a sense, this step involves a transition from internal work and healing to external efforts and action. This can be intimidating. It is important to understand the value of admitting your faults. Letting go of the shame and guilt associated with your mistakes can be extremely freeing and relieving. At Renaissance Ranch, we incorporate spiritual and faith-based principles into our programming to help clients find hope and courage throughout treatment. We understand the challenges associated with addiction recovery and aim to provide the best support and treatment possible. We use the traditional 12-Step approach to addiction recovery in collaboration with the gospel as it applies. If you or someone you care about is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, give Renaissance Ranch a call today at
.