It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness priority. It’s necessary. – Mandy Halo
Selfish is a common term used when discussing addiction. With a common belief of society that those who use drugs are only concerned with themselves. For anyone who has struggled with addiction I’m sure they can agree at times they were selfish. I’m sure they can remember a time when they would have done anything to get high and feel better and had no regard for anyone else. While society shakes its head at those who have made themselves their priority and labeled them selfish, it’s important that we all know focusing on one’s self does not always have to be selfish.
Recovery is a time of transition filled with re-evaluation, lots of changes and hopefully growth. Recovery is a time when someone must put themselves first and focus on their health, happiness, and all around wellbeing. It’s a time where it’s okay to put yourself first and do what’s best for you. While this could be considered selfish, in Recovery it’s called Self Love.
Self-love is a necessity and vital part of recovery, which is often very hard for most. Learning to love yourself enough to let go of all the hate, disappointment and regret that is often tied with using. Learning to love yourself enough to know you are worthy of getting better and deserve to get help. Learning to love yourself enough to want to change and stick with it even when it’s difficult. Learning to love yourself before you can ever love someone else.
So if someone you know is taking time to focus on themselves be supportive. Sometimes focusing on one’s self is the key to success.