Awareness is: "Yeah, I do that."
Acknowledgment is: "I do that, and it's hurting me and the people around me."
Acceptance is: "I don't like it, but it's true."
Responsibility is: "Now it's my job to do something about it."
The real battle begins when you acknowledge:
"This protected me once, but it's hurting me now."
That's the moment the defenses start sounding alarms.
Sometimes healing is standing in front of a mirror and saying:
"I see what I'm doing.
I understand why I started doing it.
I forgive myself for needing it.
But I can't keep doing it."
That might be more than half the battle.