Life Recovery Step 8: Be Willing to Make Amends

Life Recovery Step 8: Be Willing to Make AmendsMaking amends is painful. Doing nothing is painful. But nothing is as painful as keeping everything a secret.

In Life Recovery Step 8, it says, “We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.”

Unfortunately, individuals stuck in addiction try to do damage control by trying to hide their addiction and not making amends to those they’ve hurt. Full of shame and self-condemnation, they avoid making amends at all costs because they think it’ll spare themselves—and those they love—from more hurt.

Here are four core shame-filled beliefs that keep a person stuck:

    1. “I am a bad and worthless person.”
    2. “If you really knew me, you wouldn’t love me.”
    3. “My addiction is my greatest need.” (more…)

As Sick As Our Secrets

As Sick As Our SecretsOn the outside, we have it all together. But on the inside, we may have secrets that we’ve never told a soul. Our secrets lie below the surface. No one can see them; nevertheless, they are there. These secrets cause us pain and keep us from being fully known.

Secrets have the potential to destroy everything near and dear to us. But when we address our pain and bring our secrets out into the open, we’ll find healing.

Where do we feel pain? (more…)