Keeping Secrets Can Hurt Us…
- You hear “We’re only as sick as our secrets” a lot in the recovery community. It means that any secret we keep in the dark grows and becomes more harmful. Once it’s exposed to the light, or released, its power is lost.
- Secrets, also known as shame, can create negative self-talk and self -loathing and can keep us active in our addictions.
- Being honest with ourselves is critical to recovery
Secrets, Stigma & Shame…
- The stigma of alcoholism will only be eliminated when those of us in recovery speak up and expose this “secret” to the light.
- The less we talk about shame, the more control it has over our lives.
- Brene’ Brown writes in her book, Daring Greatly, “Yes, the shame is tough to talk about. But the conversation isn’t nearly as dangerous as what we’re creating with our silence! We all experience shame. We’re all afraid to talk about it. And, the less we talk about it, the more we have it.”
What can you do this week to eliminate or lessen your shame? Do you have someone in your life that deserves to hear your secrets?