Many people don’t realize the importance of accountability in recovery. Accountability is often something that was lacking when we were in active addiction. This is because the disease of addiction is a selfish and isolating one. The good news is that in recovery, we get to be accountable again. This includes being accountable for our own actions, as well as being accountable for how our behaviors affect those we love.
The Importance of Accountability in Recovery
Accountability is critical in recovery because we need to be able to be relied upon and trusted. This is the trust that many of us broke when we were in our active addiction. Now, this was not entirely our fault. After all, addiction is not a “choice” — it is a disease.
The disease of addiction makes us unreliable because it skews our motivations and priorities. There is only one priority for those of us who struggle with addiction, and that priority is feeding our addiction at any cost. That is the cunning, baffling, and powerful nature of the disease.
Better Understanding Addiction
The disease of addiction affects millions of people every day. This includes both in the U.S. as well as around the globe. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), “Recently, more than 27 million people in the United States reported that they are using illicit drugs or misusing prescription drugs, and nearly a quarter of adults and adolescents reported binge drinking in the past month. The annual economic impact of substance misuse is estimated to be $249 billion for alcohol misuse and $193 billion for illicit drug use.”
These are serious statistics. Now, these statistics are also a good reminder as to why connecting with a recovery professional is so important if you think that you or a loved one has a problem with drugs and/or alcohol. These recovery professionals can also help to create a plan that will instill some accountability into your recovery.
Accountability in Recovery: Sticking to a Plan
Structure is critical when it comes to recovery. It is also an essential component when it comes to establishing accountability. Now, in early recovery, structure may look as simple as making your bed in the morning and making sure to eat at regular times throughout the day. But, as one’s recovery becomes more established, so too will their structure.
This structure can also be brought about via work with psychotherapists. Psychotherapy, like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), can help with structure and accountability because it gets to the underlying issues of addiction that may be hindering those two aspects.
CBT also makes you an “active participant” in your own recovery, which makes you accountable to yourself. According to the peer-reviewed journal Cognitive Therapy and Research, “Consistent with the medical model of psychiatry, the overall goal of treatment is symptom reduction, improvement in functioning, and remission of the disorder. In order to achieve this goal, the patient becomes an active participant in a collaborative problem-solving process to test and challenge the validity of maladaptive cognitions and to modify maladaptive behavioral patterns…. Although these strategies greatly emphasize cognitive factors, physiological, emotional, and behavioral components are also recognized for the role that they play in the maintenance of the disorder.”
Accountability in Recovery: Working With Others
It is also important to be accountable to others in recovery. In active addiction, we were often very unreliable. This must change if we are to grow and connect with others in recovery.
Working with others is also important for accountability because it gives us purpose in our recovery. Having a “life’s purpose” is critical if we are going to have long-term sobriety because it helps us to stay motivated and positive.
Accountability in Recovery: Avoiding a Relapse
Working with others not only helps with accountability, but it also helps us to avoid a relapse. It’s so important that they even named a chapter after it (“Working With Others”) in the primary text of 12-Step recovery (commonly referred to as the Big Book).
The chapter states, “Practical experience shows that nothing will so much ensure immunity from drinking [and using] as intensive work with other [people in recovery]. It works when other activities fail…. You can help when no one else can.”
So, in recovery, we can literally become accountable for the system of recovery working. As is often said, our primary purpose becomes, “staying sober and helping another individual recover.” If we stay accountable to this motto, then our chances of success go up significantly.
Our Primary Purpose at Lantana Recovery
Here at Lantana Recovery, our primary purpose is to help you recover by any means necessary. We do so by ensuring that all of our recovery plans are individualized and comprehensive, with a focus on the future.
If you are ready to be accountable for your own well-being, then you are ready to recover once and for all. You can do this! We can help.
Accountability is a critical part of recovery. It can be critical to realize the importance of accountability, as well as how 12-Step recovery can help you or a loved one attain it. Accountability also comes from working with recovery professionals like therapists, doctors, recovery peers, and specialized addiction counselors. If you feel like you or a loved one is struggling with issues of mental health, addiction, or co-occurring disorders, we can help get you on the positive path toward long-term recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this process alone. For more information about the importance of accountability in recovery, please reach out to Lantana Recovery today at (866) 997-2870.
