Trust

We all seem to want to trust people. Some of us do more than others.
Some of us can be very untrusting, in fact, especially if we've had unfortunate life experiences that didn't help develop our sense of trust.

So we may hold back trust. And we may feel alone and a lack of connection if we don't trust.

So how do we deal with trust in Recovery?

Let's separate two types of trust:
1. Trust in Others
2. Trust in the Self

You may have learned that some people can't be trusted. Maybe, you were hurt or abused. This was your experience and it is real. Don't deny it. You were dealt a difficult learning experience, and you have a hard time trusting. That's okay. So part of your recovery may be learning to differentiate "trustworthy" people from "untrustworthy" ones. And there is a difference!

You can do this! You can learn how to wisely choose your associates. You can acknowledge that there are certain signs that a person may not be capable of being a trustworthy friend. For instance,...if he/she has a drug problem, if he/she acts out violently, chances are, they will disappoint you.

Not surprisingly, trust in the self and trust in others go hand in hand.

Better choices. Better trust in the self. Better trust in the self, better choices.

But wait...is there something else we can do to build a deep trust in ourselves and others?

Yes, there is. We can begin to connect to that place inside of us and inside of others that holds our strength and potential and our common thread. You have it. I have it. Others have it, too. I like to think of it as the place of love, of our humanity. We are all human. We all make mistakes. True, some more than others. But even if we can't trust someone due to obvious reasons, we can still trust our shared humanity.