DEVELOPING YOUR RECOVERY ATTITUDE (PART A)
STAYING POSITIVE
Lesson Objective: Having a positive and cooperative attitude will make an enormous
difference in your recovery. A negative, defeated mindset can
Focus on positive sabotage your progress in treatment and make recovery much
more difficult. It can also affect the people around you. Your mood
character traits can encourage others or drag them down. Thinking, believing, and
acting the same will keep you the same.
WRITING YOUR STORY
Attitude is everything. Accomplishing your recovery goals is nearly impossible with a negative,
discouraged, or defeated attitude. Reflect on times in the past where you had trouble managing your
attitude. How has this caused increased substance use problems for you? What consequences have
you experienced because of a poor or uncooperative attitude? Reflect on several things that would
improve your attitude or encourage a positive attitude for you. What do you need to do to stay strong,
positive, and confident?
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A fiercely honest inventory of your attitude toward treatment can help you understand where you
are today and where you want to go. You can adjust your attitude, change your direction, strengthen
your recovery, and become the person you desire to be. Changing your outlook and mindset are
foundational to building your recovery.
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DEVELOPING YOUR RECOVERY ATTITUDE (PART A)
TAKING AN INVENTORY
Examine the following attitudes and mark the line on each continuum where you currently see
yourself. Use the following questions to help you identify and consider a few simple things you can do
to move yourself a couple steps in a more positive direction.
1. Becoming More Accepting
CYNICAL ACCEPTING
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Cynical – A cynical, sarcastic, pessimistic attitude is often filled with skepticism, suspicion, and distrust. It
causes people to be negative in their outlook and critical with their remarks. This attitude is destructively
contagious, damaging to group unity, and can detract from the positive momentum of recovery.
Accepting – To be accepting means to have the ability to receive support and encouragement from
a variety of sources. In a humble and patient way, information to boost and encourage recovery is
collected. It also means understanding the power to change one’s life and accept treatment is each
person’s individual responsibility.
What simple actions can you take to help you better accept correction? List several specific areas you
will accept help, advice, and suggestions.
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2. Becoming More Encouraging
FAULT-FINDING ENCOURAGING
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Fault-finding – This attitude is critical, judgmental, and looks for mistakes, conflict, and weaknesses.
When errors are found, it is difficult for the fault-finding person to resist pointing them out. They seem
to take delight in others' failings and may almost cheerfully point out the personal flaws and mistakes
of others.
Encouraging – The encouraging person finds it natural to overlook mistakes, and instead, looks
for positive traits, characteristics, and accomplishments. The encouraging person helps others feel
understood and appreciated.
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DEVELOPING YOUR RECOVERY ATTITUDE (PART A)
Think of someone in your life and name three traits or characteristics in them you can encourage
or compliment.
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3. Becoming More Positive
NEGATIVE POSITIVE
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Negative – The negative person worries about what could go wrong and does not trust others. Their
speech is flavored with unhelpful words and depressive attitudes that can harm others in the group.
Pessimism and negativity increase feelings of helplessness in oneself and others.
Positive – It is human nature to want to be around those who make us feel good. A positive, optimistic
attitude is inspiring and can produce a constructive, cheerful manner in others. Positive people believe
the best about themselves and others, and look for what could go right in the future. They are people
others want to be around.
What is your typical response to positive people?
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What is your usual response to negative people?
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DEVELOPING YOUR RECOVERY ATTITUDE (PART A)
What changes can you make to be more constructive, upbeat, and positive?
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4. Becoming More Self-Valuing
SELF-HATING SELF-VALUING
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Self-hating – The self-hating person sees themselves as inferior, inadequate, and useless. They are
quick to criticize and belittle themselves, and their attitudes are difficult to confront. Compliments and
affirmation are rarely received and often argued against, sometimes quite strongly. Because of their
low self-esteem and feelings of despair and hopelessness, the self-hating person frequently makes
little progress in treatment.
Self-valuing – Healthy self-esteem and genuine care for others are features of the self-valuing person.
They can express opinions and thoughts well and without fear of rejection. Confidence, not arrogance,
is a welcoming quality and makes this person easy to be around.
What self-hating behaviors are holding you back from recovery or living a full life?
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When you speak to yourself, is your language more self-hating or self-valuing? How can your inner
dialogue be made more positive and accepting?
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Page 4 All content © 2018 Hal Baumchen, PsyD, LP, LADC | www.journeytorecovery.com
