We can never fully recover, no matter how long we stay clean.
Basic Text, p. 84
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After getting a little time in the program, some of us begin to think we have been cured. Weve learned everything NA has to teach us; weve grown bored with the meetings; and our sponsor keeps droning the same old refrain: The stepsthe stepsthe steps! We decide it is time to get on with our lives, cut way back on meetings, and try to make up for the years we have lost to active addiction. We do this, however, at the peril of our recovery.
Those of us who have relapsed after such an episode often try to go to as many meetings as we cansome of us go to a meeting every day for several years. It may take that long for us to understand that we will always be addicts. We may feel well some days and sick on other days, but we are addicts every day. At any time, we are subject to delusion, denial, rationalization, justification, insanityall the hallmarks of the typical addicts way of thinking. If we want to continue living and enjoying life without the use of drugs, we must practice an active program of recovery each day.
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Just for today: I am an addict every day, but today I have the choice to be a recovering addict. I will make that choice by practicing my program.
Yes we suffer from a disease that has no known cure ,but it can be arrested and recovery is then possible!.Thank you Narcotics Anonymous and above all .the God of my understanding!!
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Our purpose is to remain clean,just for today,and to carry the message of recovery.
Having become only recently involved in NA, this is one of the things I am hearing from those who have what I want. They are not looking for a cure, for they have found through experience that there is not one. Some have found this out the first time working the steps, and some have had to work the steps many times. There have been relapses and trips back to square one for some, others have not had to go there. All continue to work the steps daily, inside and more importantly, I think, outside of meetings. We all can pretend to be who we want to be to group of people in a meeting room. We can even convince ourselves that's who we are. We have done it as active addicts. It scares the hell out of me to think that I am never going to be able to drug or drink again, many occasions in my life were centered around doing so for as long as I can remember. But then I tell myself, I don't have to be concerned about the rest of my life, I only have to be concerned about today. And, with the God of my understandings help, today I will continue to choose to be a recovering addict. Peace. and thanks.
This is a good reading for me. When I feel good about myself and my situation I can believe that life is all roses and cherry pie. That my pain is over for good. Then life bites me on the ass and I cop resentments and have to scramble to recover the basics of recovery. All i have is today....for better or for worse....and the knowledge that 'this too shall pass'
