Overcoming the Dangers of Pride in Addiction Recovery Through Step 7 NA
Step 7 – “Humbly asked our Higher Power to remove our shortcomings.”
The old saying, “pride goeth before the fall” covers most any and all areas of daily living, but even more so for people recovering from drug addiction. As a general rule, any attitude that breeds negativity or contempt holds the capability to sabotage a person’s recovery efforts.
For recovering addicts, pride not only shows up as a root of addiction, but can also become an issue during the recovery process. By the time a person reaches Step 7 NA, considerable progress has been made in terms of developing the type of lifestyle that supports continued abstinence.
While taking pride in one’s accomplishments is a good thing, feelings of pride can just as easily spill over into dangerous territories. For these reasons, drawing wisdom and guidance from your Higher Power, as well as from others in recovery, becomes the focus of Step 7 NA.
If you’re just starting out in recovery and have questions about the 12 Step treatment approach, please feel free to call our toll-free helpline at 888-905-9004 (Who Answers?) .
The Effects of Pride on Your Recovery
Pride can be a major roadblock to your recovery.
By now you already know recovering from drug addiction entails creating an entirely new lifestyle that can support drug-free living. According to the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, this process involves considerable growth and development in terms of a person’s life outlook and emotional maturity.
Continuing to grow in recovery means staying open to new ideas and ways of doing things. If pride takes a foothold in a person’s outlook, it can easily become a barrier to healthy growth and change.
Step 7 NA brings a person’s shortcomings to the forefront to prevent feelings like pride from compromising his or her recovery efforts.
How Step 7 NA Can help
Developing an Attitude of Humility
Step 7 NA directs those in recovery to ask for help from their Higher Power. Just the act of asking for help is an act of humility.
Likewise, the 12 Step approach encourages a person to develop a habit of prayer and meditation, according to Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly. In effect, these behaviors help cultivate an attitude of humility and openness that directly goes against the pull of pride.
Change of Heart
Taking too much pride in one’s recovery efforts makes it difficult to see shortcomings. It also makes it that much easier to rationalize questionable choices and destructive behaviors.
With Step 7 NA, asking your Higher power to help you overcome a prideful attitude paves the way for a change of heart to take place. Over time, these changes evolve into a state of mind that enables you to replace feelings of pride with an attitude of openness and real awareness.
Transparency
When feelings of pride start to cloud a person’s perspective, the tendency to want to bury insecurities and difficult emotional issues grows stronger. These conditions put up a roadblock in your recovery and leave the door wide open for an untimely relapse to happen.
Adhering to Step 7 NA creates the type of transparency of heart and mind that allows for needed growth and change to take place.
Call our helpline at 888-905-9004 (Who Answers?) to ask about 12 Step program treatment options.