As you go through addiction treatment, starting with detox and moving to inpatient, you don’t struggle with the physical side as much as the mental one. It can be easy to slip back into destructive thought patterns during recovery. More than that, it can be hard to find a new, stronger mindset to replace the old. However, in-patient treatment aims to help us achieve a positive growth mindset that focuses on rehabilitation. A growth mindset sets healthy mental habits that will carry you through recovery and beyond. This article discusses how treatment can break the bad habits of our thoughts by switching from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.
Growth vs. Fixed Mindset
According to the American Psychological Association, a fixed mindset is a view that some personal traits, such as intellectual ability, are permanent and immutable. In contrast, a growth mindset holds that these traits can be developed. The trap of a fixed mindset is that it leads people to believe that all the skills they currently possess will be the best they will ever be. It also classes people by their ability, helping us to make quick, cynical judgments of others. This kills our empathy for ourselves and others, letting us only see the book by its cover.
In contrast, the growth mindset believes that we can continually improve and better ourselves regardless of our current skills, abilities, or attitude. This leads individuals to aim for higher goals and constantly press forward. You can see an example of this in weight lifting, where each session grows muscles in small amounts. Over time, these small habits and changes create a more muscular body. This is the same for our brains and mentality. The more we invest small positive thoughts into our daily life, the stronger our mentality is toward ourselves and others. In turn, we gain more understanding and empathy.
Benefits of a Growth Mindset
According to Frontiers in Psychology, a growth mindset is more likely to affect individuals to take control of their health, both mentally and emotionally. When you are fighting addiction, certain mental hurdles need to be overcome. To champion addiction recovery, you need to give yourself to the process of betterment. The first benefit of a growth mindset is that it keeps you open to change. Entering foreign areas and new practices can be frightening, but when your brain is available to new situations and thought patterns, it’s more likely to find healthier habits. To someone with a fixed mindset, treatment would prove a considerable threat to their current state.
The second benefit is it turns challenges into opportunities. This takes situations that would initially put you on the defensive and flips them into opportunities to change and grow. When we constantly feed our brains that new experiences result in pain, we are more likely to shut it out. If we shift our perspective to look at addiction treatment as the best chance for lifelong happiness, our brains eliminate the threat. This is where therapy can do its work in helping us see new possibilities. We need to trust in the process to let in the healthiest aspects of change.
How to Choose Growth
The first way to choose a growth mindset is by addressing our current perspective. After years of internal training and habits stemming from childhood, some are left with attitudes that are limiting or degrading. We can help you make small decisions against negativity. The second step is to take time to celebrate your improvements, both small and big. When we gloss over our small steps, it removes all incentive to keep pushing and growing. Maintaining that healthy and positive energy within ourselves is crucial for continued growth.
Another step towards growth is seeking counsel and advice from others. While we hold a lot of power to change our lives, we need others around us to help us reach our goals. This is especially true in addiction treatment when accountability is paramount. Through this process, it’s ok to make mistakes. The best way to learn is through what not to do. Each error is a brick building a platform for future success. This is why you need to be easy on yourself with each mistake because there will be many of them. Learning to celebrate small victories and forgive mistakes is the key to proper growth.
Choosing Treatment
At First Steps Recovery, we place primary importance on your growth. This battle starts with addiction treatment. Please consider our center if you or a loved one is struggling with addiction. Our facilities are curtailed to help you fight against addiction while fostering positive habits that will carry you well beyond in-patient treatment. We want you to be free from the grip of addiction. That starts with the belief that you can grow and strengthen your state. You are more than the present you.
Addiction treatment can be terrifying. This is especially true if you are kept hidden from the process. However, the reality of addiction treatment at First Steps Recovery is that you will never travel this path by yourself. We strive to help you feel like you belong by creating a peer-oriented environment mandating your substance misuse. We believe treating clients holistically is the best method to ensure complete recovery. This considers the state of the body, mind, and soul to achieve a full recovery and wants to support you as you transition to absolute freedom. You’ll find your happiness. For more information about our services and facilities, please call First Steps Recovery at (844) 489-0836.
Addiction treatment can be terrifying. This is especially true if you are kept hidden from the process. However, the reality of addiction treatment at First Steps Recovery is that you will never travel this path by yourself. We strive to help you feel like you belong by creating a peer-oriented environment mandating your substance misuse. We believe treating clients holistically is the best method to ensure complete recovery. This considers the state of the body, mind, and soul to achieve a full recovery and wants to support you as you transition to absolute freedom. You’ll find your happiness. For more information about our services and facilities, please call First Steps Recovery at (844) 489-0836.
