By Jennifer McDougall

If you’ve ever struggled with addiction or substance abuse-related issues, you know how important it is to have a positive mindset. Positive thinking can help you stay sober and thrive in recovery, even if it takes time to feel like these affirmations are working. Here are ten positive affirmations to help build your confidence during your healing process.

I am worthy of a life of freedom, wholeness, and love.

You will feel many emotions as you begin to take control of your life by getting sober and healing the underlying conditions that contributed to your substance abuse-related issues. One of the most common emotions that people in recovery experience is fear. You may fear relapse or failure in recovery because you’ve tried to get and stay sober many times before but continued to return to your old ways, and something hasn’t clicked yet. Unfortunately, when we live in constant fear, we feed those fears and give them power over our inhibitions. In treatment at Passages, one of the many things you’ll learn is that you are not powerless over your addiction and can overcome any obstacle set in your way if you apply the correct tools.

I am loved.

When we feel loved, it makes us happy, relaxed, and confident. By practicing self-love and accepting love from others, we can learn how to know our true self-worth.

One way of knowing if someone truly loves us is when they treat us with kindness and respect at all times (even when we do not feel we deserve it) and show their affection through their words or actions towards us.

It is essential for everyone who wants to have healthy relationships with others, whether romantic or platonic ones, where there will be mutual trust between each other. Hence, there’s no need for jealousy between two people because both parties understand why each partner needs support at all times rather than just one person doing everything alone without any help whatsoever, especially during difficult times like addiction recovery.

I accept myself.

The more you accept yourself, the easier it will be open yourself up to experience healing from a 360-degree angle — where you look at every aspect of yourself to shift your thinking, alter your course of action, and change toxic behavior. Accepting yourself means accepting your past and present — the good, the bad, and everything. It means accepting your strengths as well as your weaknesses. It also means accepting all your emotions, even those less than pleasant.

Accepting yourself also means accepting that every choice you have made throughout life has been for a reason — no matter how big or small it was at the time. You cannot change what has already happened, but you can use what you’ve learned to help make better choices in the future.

The past no longer defines my present.

The past is over, and the future isn’t here yet. The past can be a learning experience, but it doesn’t have to define your future or who you are right now. Giving any power to the things that happened in the past is what holds people back from moving forward with confidence.

The past is just a memory — it’s not your future!

My best is good enough.

You don’t have to feel like the most perfect being all the time. You don’t have to be a superhuman or super mom or dad. You don’t need to be the best at everything, and you certainly shouldn’t let the weight of extreme pressure keep you from feeling safe and secure in your own skin. Wanting to achieve more in life is great, but try not to overwhelm yourself and instead focus on one thing at a time.

If you’re having trouble finding your voice or asserting yourself as an individual, try some positive affirmations like these:

• I’m just beginning this journey, and I’m doing my best.
• I’ve made some mistakes, but that doesn’t define me.
• Even though I messed up yesterday doesn’t mean today can’t be amazing.
• I have everything I need and am on the right track to becoming the best possible version of myself.

I am building myself up, not tearing myself down.

A common mistake many people in addiction recovery make is tearing themselves down. The most common method of doing this is to compare yourself to others, but it can also happen by comparing your life today to your past or the future you want with the present-day reality of your life.

Unfortunately, these comparisons will inevitably lead you to negativity and self-shame. And while they might seem like helpful reminders, they are harmful and unproductive practices that can cause more harm than good in addiction recovery.

Tearing yourself down can take many forms:

• Judging yourself based on how well your goals align with other people’s expectations.
• Comparing where you are now with where someone else was at some point in their journey (or vice versa).
• Spending too much time scrolling on social media and feeling inadequate because people online seem to have things way more figured out than you do (spoiler alter: they don’t).

I am grateful for all the blessings in my life.

Being grateful is essential to having a positive outlook on life. It can help you feel more relaxed, less stressed, and happier. You can practice gratitude by taking time each day to think about the things you are grateful for in your life. Some examples of what you could be grateful for include:

• Your health, family, and friends
• Your home, a safe place to live
• Your job, a steady income that provides you with what you need
• Your education, the knowledge you’ve studied and acquired
• Your hobbies and interests that keep you engaged and excited about life

People love me for who I am.

• You are a good person.
• You are worthy of love and respect.
• You have a right to be here, and people love you for who you are.
• No one should tell you otherwise; if they do, they don’t love or respect themselves and project their inadequacies onto you.

My happiness isn’t dependent on others.

• My joy isn’t dependent on others.
• It’s okay to be happy for others.
• It’s okay to be happy for myself.
• It’s okay not to take things personally.
• It’s okay to celebrate other people’s wins.
• I am in control of my own happiness.

It’s okay to ask for help when I need it.

You may feel too proud to ask for help sometimes, but don’t let your pride get in the way of doing something that can help you become a healthier and happier version of yourself.

It’s never too late to ask for help when you need it. Even if someone has failed at something before, it doesn’t mean they won’t succeed this time.

Asking for help shows strength and courage — we all need a little more courage in our lives now and then.

I’m proud of myself for each day that I’m sober.

Celebrate how far you’ve come! Your healing journey may look different than someone else’s, which is perfectly normal. Your journey is unique and unlike anyone else’s, so try not to compare but rather be proud of everything you’ve gone through that has brought you to where you are now.

It’s possible to be happy in my own skin.

For many people, this is a difficult concept to grasp. As a result, many individuals struggle with self-love and can easily fall into the trap of negative thinking. However, self-love is important because it allows you to accept yourself and all of your flaws without feeling bad about them or trying to change who you are at the core level of your being. Loving yourself is a courageous act of rebellion in a world filled with people who want to bring you down to their level. Be happy, for you are unique and made unlike anyone else.

Positive affirmations can help you build confidence as you recover from addiction-related issues.

Positive affirmations are statements that make you feel good about yourself, your life, and your ability to recover from addiction. Using these positive affirmations regularly can help us rebuild our sense of self-esteem, which is often damaged in the process of drug or alcohol abuse.

Repeat after me:

I am worthy and beautiful.

I have a purpose in this world.

I am a good person who attracts wonderful opportunities in my life.

Conclusion

You’re worth so much more than you think, and everything changes as soon as you realize that. You are more powerful than you can imagine, and no matter what you are experiencing right now, with the right help, you can become the best version of yourself and live happily, free from addiction.