Honesty in Recovery. Staying in recovery is the ultimate goal.

Honesty above all else. Honesty is the best policy. These are phrases you have probably heard your entire life. Honesty is very important but we live in a society where lies are prominent. In fact there are times when we are encouraged to tell white lies or half truths in order to keep from offending someone or hurting their feelings. This will not work in recovery. Recovery requires rigorous honesty. So much so that we are often put in uncomfortable situations, but honesty in recovery is still required.

Maintaining and staying in recovery is the ultimate goal. When you are in recovery it seems everyone has some piece of advice that is meant to be well meaning. Some advice may be helpful while other advice could lead to problems. Being honest with the people that offer this advice is key to maintaining balance. This is all part of what is known as rigorous honesty.

Lying is second nature for addicts as it is part of the lifestyle. The goal for an addict is more drugs and this often requires lying and using dishonest techniques. This means that when you enter into recovery you must learn to change this behavior to rigorous honesty. This may mean at times people get angry at you for being totally honest, but it is still necessary. This is not an opportunity to be mean, just honest. This is a lifestyle change that is necessary to overcome the behaviors of addiction. In time being truthful will become habit.

There are reasons behind rigorous honesty in recovery beyond breaking addiction. When someone is always honest about things then trust is built with others. Additionally, when you stop telling lies and half truths you never have to remember what you said as it will have been the truth from the beginning. Truth is also important to addicts as a way to build trust in themselves. It is hard to trust one’s judgment if you are not honest with yourself. This can be difficult because being honest with yourself about your faults and even your positives can be unfamiliar. That being said you will probably not always tell the truth. This is just a fact of life. When you find yourself lying, make it right. Admit what you have done and take the consequences with pride as you have done the honorable thing.

Honesty in Recovery

Recovery is a process. This process takes time and a great deal of learning to be the best person you can be in life. Rigorous honesty is the best way to start this process. You have already made the first major step in admitting you are an addict, keep the motivation going and stick with this type honesty. Are there things in your life that you have been hiding or lying about to others? Admit these things if they will not cause the others undue harm. Are there things you have been lying to yourself about? Being honest must extend to yourself as well. So wait no longer, make a list of things you have lied about and start correcting them as you can. You will feel better and can start your journey with a fresh slate.

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