Self-pity is one of the most destructive of defects; it will drain us of all positive energy.
Basic Text, p. 80
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In active addiction, many of us used self-pity as a survival mechanism. We didn't believe there was an alternative to living in our disease--or perhaps we didn't want to believe. As long as we could feel sorry for ourselves and blame someone else for our troubles, we didnt have to accept the consequences of our actions; believing ourselves powerless to change, we didnt have to accept the need for change. Using this survival mechanism kept us from entering recovery and led us closer, day by day, to self-destruction. Self-pity is a tool of our disease; we need to stop using it and learn instead to use the new tools we find in the NA program.
We have come to believe that effective help is available for us; when we seek that help, finding it in the NA program, self-pity is displaced by gratitude. Many tools are at our disposal: the Twelve Steps, the support of our sponsor, the fellowship of other recovering addicts, and the care of our Higher Power. The availability of all these tools is more than enough reason to be grateful. We no longer live in isolation, without hope; we have certain help at hand for anything we may face. The surest way to become grateful is to take advantage of the help available to us in the NA program and to experience the improvement the program will bring in our lives.
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Just for today: I will be grateful for the hope NA has given me. I will cultivate my recovery and stop cultivating self-pity.
When I came around I was full of self-pity. I was blaming everyone but myself for being the way I was . I have had to work on my recovery and stop all self-pity.
Story of my life .. thank you for posting this .. i am steeped in self pity believing myself to be powerless. It's a deadly snare in fact emotionally, mentally and of course spiritually but i am so unbelievably down and hard on myself somedays i am not sure how to change it .. Self pity has been my entire life (maybe why my Entire life became Unmanageable) .. I blamed everyone for everything .. everyone that is but me .. I was the victim .. i am so mad at my choices. How can i make these choices around others i love. that's the shame .. no clue what to do yet but being honest is where all the steps begin ..
