Forgiveness is one of the steps of the 12 step recovery program.

There are other steps to be taken first before getting to the step of forgiveness.With most cases of addiction, both the person with the addiction and those affected - family, friends and workmates - need to take the same steps. Forgiving does not mean condoning destructive behavior or allowing abuse to continue. Forgiving does include letting go of past hurts and resentments. Forgiving allows us to be able to move on to a better outcome much more quickly and easily. It is an action that you can take yourself any time. You can forgive yourself. You can forgive the other person. When I find forgiving myself difficult (which happens often for me) I usually find that I am blaming myself for what happened instead of taking responsibility for doing something about it. Blaming rarely produces desired outcomes, love or affinity. When I stop blaming, I can then forgive.