5 Ways Your Character Defects Hinder Your Recovery - The Discovery House Los Angeles CA
5 Ways Your Character Defects Hinder Your Recovery
August 15, 2016December 14, 2023
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5 Ways Your Character Defects Hinder Your Recovery

Recognizing character defects in others is sometimes easier than recognizing our own. Part of the rehab and recovery process for substance abuse means identifying our personal character defects and recognizing how we let our character defects hinder recovery.

5 Ways Your Character Defects Hinder Your Recovery

Why do character defects hinder recovery from addictions, not allowing us to move on from our past? Here are five ways that personal characteristics may create barriers to personal growth:

  • Mistakenly considering the deficit a strength
  • Not recognizing the presence of a personal character deficit
  • Projecting the defects of others as hindering personal recovery
  • Choosing only to focus on easily managed deficits, instead of more painful or difficult ones
  • Avoid looking at the damage our character deficits have caused (to ourselves and others)

5 Ways Your Character Defects Hinder Your Recovery

Common Character Defects Present in Addictions

A character defect is a personal attribute that causes a negative impact on achieving a positive goal, situation, or desire. Character deficits can cause us to damage relationships and our health, even though this wasn’t the goal or intent. Some common character deficits that those in recovery for drug addictions choose to work on:

  • Anger
  • Fear
  • Anxiety
  • Perfectionism
  • Self-hatred
  • Negative thinking
  • Impatience
  • Loneliness
  • Resentment

This list is by no means comprehensive or true for all people with an addiction.

Working closely with a counselor during drug rehab or a sponsor often helps clarify personal character deficits. Learning to recognize how these deficits contributed to the use of drugs and alcohol, is an important part of recovery and relapse prevention.

Taking a hard look at personal character deficits, without coming down hard on oneself, is important. Therapy helps hit the pause button on thoughts-behaviors that have caused damage in the past. Learning to pause, without immediately reacting, helps strengthen the recovery journey. Character defects are not chosen, they develop over time. Choosing how to behave is a choice, though, and it is possible to temper, control and reduce character defects, and balance them out with character assets. If you’re looking for professional guidance in this journey, consider reaching out to meet the Discovery House team for expert support.

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