Friends and family of people who are substance dependent often get hurt as a result of the substance abuse. People who are substance dependent often cannot take care of themselves and certainly cannot take care of others.
As part of your recovery, you should think about whom you have hurt. You should also think about whether you need to do anything to repair the relationships that are most important to you. In 12-Step programs this process is called “making amends.”
What are some of the past behaviors you might want to amend?
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Are there things you neglected to do or say when you were using that should be addressed now?
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How are you planning to make amends?
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Do you feel that being in recovery and stopping the use of drugs is enough?
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Making amends does not have to be complicated. Acknowledging the hurt you caused while you were using substances will probably help reduce conflict in your relationships. Not everyone will be ready to forgive you, but an important part of this process is beginning to forgive yourself. Another aspect of repairing relationships involves your forgiving others for things that they did when you were using substances.
Whom do you need to forgive?
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What resentments do you need to let go of?
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