Making Amends: Repair the Damage from Addiction

We likely promised to sober up in the past, only to revert to alcohol abuse or another drug of choice. Children see it all for what it is, not what we’ve promised. Children don’t need to hear about the disease of alcoholism or the Twelve Steps. So we can skip the long-winded speeches and just be mom or dad.

Take the Next Steps:

Some of your past will be painful, and you’ll likely have to face some of your biggest regrets. Step 2 is about finding faith in some higher power, and the accompanying principle of hope means that you should never give up that faith, even when you suffer a setback. What are the 12 Principles of AA and how do they work in recovery? A complete answer to this question begins with a quick history of how these principles originated, who developed them, and why.

Myth: The AA Promises are only relevant to those in early recovery.

If you’re on the fence about Step 9, remember that making amends can help you and the other person. On the opposite side of the street are those individuals who simply say, “All of my amends would living amends hurt people. I’m just not going to speak to anyone.” Avoid the temptation to get out of this step. I am very sorry for stealing money out of your desk in order to fund my drug habit last year.

• The initial 7 steps are about inward self-reflection and transformation, while steps 8 and 9 focus on fixing interpersonal relationships.
• In those cases, we can make amends in a broader sense by taking actions like donating money, volunteering our time or providing care.
• An alcoholic in recovery first creates the list of individuals they have harmed during step eight and then divides the list into four categories.
• It goes beyond simply apologizing to taking steps to right a wrong.

What If My Attempt to Make Things Right Goes Wrong and Things Get Worse?

Making amends involves acknowledging and correcting past behaviors. It’s a transformational part of addiction recovery that takes courage, self-awareness, and a willingness to change. God or a higher power is mentioned several times throughout the 12 steps.

Making Living Amends in 12 Step Recovery

These amends affirm your commitment to sobriety and focus on how you’ll become a better person moving forward. Living amends is a concept linked to addiction recovery and part of the twelve-step program for sober living. In simple terms, it means taking responsibility for the person you used to be and how you caused harm to the people in your life who care about you. Step 2 of the program involves believing in a power greater than oneself and trusting in that power to restore mental health. The AA Promises support this step by providing hope and motivation for individuals in recovery as they work towards a greater sense of purpose and meaning in life. Part of healing the past is owning the wrongs we have made towards people and places while living in our addiction.

• What about the relationships we ruined, the emotional wreckage we created?
• Your journey to sobriety is a call away; let Liberty Addiction Recovery guide you towards a healthier, addiction-free life.
• Steps 10, 11, and 12 are considered the “maintenance steps” once amends have been made, and these steps focus on continuing to take personal inventory, trusting in God, and helping others.
• These promises focus on rebuilding your relationship with a loved one and moving forward from the pain of the past.
• Direct amends involve meeting the individual in person to correct your wrongdoings.

Making amends with the people you’ve fallen out with as you’re thinking about mortality and what happens when you die is one way of finding emotional freedom and closure. But what happens when the person you need to make amends with dies before you’re able to apologize and change your ways? Unfortunately, this scenario plays out much too often in the lives of people who didn’t get a chance to correct their mistakes and past behaviors in time. Embracing the 12 step promises can lead to improved mental health. By focusing on positivity and progress, individuals can cultivate a more optimistic outlook on life.

Healing the Body, Mind, and Spirit

How Making Amends Benefits Your Recovery