If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, PLEASE call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

When we’re depressed and living with addiction, we can feel overwhelmed with how bad we feel about ourselves. We feel inadequate, unlovable, unworthy and ashamed. We feel as though we can do no good. We worry we’re doomed to be unhappy. When we’re this deeply unhappy about ourselves and our lives, it’s very easy to give into the suicidal thoughts that many people have from time to time. When we’re depressed, we’re more likely to give our energy to these self-harming thoughts, to feed them rather than letting them pass like emotionally healthy people do. Something many of us tend to think when we’re suicidal is that we’re a burden to our loved ones, and that they’ll be better off when we’re not here. We fall into thought patterns of self-blame, self-deprecation and self-disparagement. We take on the blame for all the conflicts in our lives, in our families and relationships. We focus on our flaws and mistakes, and we ignore all of our strengths and gifts. We reject people’s love and support. We’re prideful and don’t want to inconvenience or burden anyone by telling them we’re struggling and need help.

We develop harmful thought patterns around these issues, and we need to release them in order to recover mentally and emotionally. We are unconditionally loved, by our higher power, by our inner light, by our spirit, even if we feel unloved in our daily lives. Even if the people we love most have betrayed or abandoned us, we are still loved. We need to match our self-image and self-perception to the truth of this unconditional love. We need to be so full of self-love that nothing external can change how we feel about ourselves. Our thought patterns to be full of uplifting and encouraging ourselves, believing in ourselves and having faith in our ability to grow and get better.

When we think we’re a burden, we often are taking our flaws and imperfections, our mistakes and our regrets, and letting them dominate our self-perception. We want to have a more realistic, well-rounded view of ourselves. Yes, we’ve made mistakes and done things we regret. We’re not perfect. Our imperfections, however, are part of our evolution into our higher selves. Without them, we wouldn’t grow or expand, or become the person we’re meant to be. When we feel burdened by our need for perfection, let’s remind ourselves that we’re human, and learning to transcend our challenges is how we grow. We’re not burdening other people by being imperfect. We’re a blessing to this world and to the people who love us.

Better lives begin with recovery. Let Bayview Recovery be your home for healing and your first stop on a lifelong journey of growth and fulfillment. Call 888-570-7154 today.