We find that we suffer from a disease, not a moral dilemma. We were critically ill, not hopelessly bad.
Basic Text, p. 16
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For many of us, Narcotics Anonymous was the answer to a personal puzzle of long standing. Why did we always feel alone, even in a crowd, we wondered? Why did we do so many crazy, self-destructive things? Why did we feel so badly about ourselves so much of the time? And how had our lives gotten so messed up? We thought we were hopelessly bad, or perhaps hopelessly insane.
Given that, it was a great relief to learn we suffered from a disease. Addictionthat was the source of our problems. A disease, we realized, could be treated. And when we treat our disease, we can begin to recover.
Today, when we see symptoms of our disease resurfacing in our lives, we need not despair. After all, its a treatable disease we have, not a moral dilemma. We can be grateful we can recover from the disease of addiction through the application of the Twelve Steps of NA.
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Just for today: I am grateful that I have a treatable disease, not a moral dilemma. I will continue applying the treatment for the disease of addiction by practicing the NA program.
This is a place where I'd would tweak the basic text.
I think what the writers meant to say was "We suffer from a disease, not a moral deficiency."
A moral dilemma is a situation in which you have to choose between two or more alternatives which are equally good or bad (lesser of two evils).
A deficiency is a weakness or shortcoming.
The point the reading is making, which is very important, is that we used drugs all the time because we have a disease, not because we have weakness of will of self-control.
If our addiction were simply a matter of developing our moral character so that we could use less often, then we might be able to learn to use successfully (i.e. in moderation).
The thought that we could actually control our using is a dangerous and false idea that takes us back to active addiction time and again.
The point is, if you are an addict, then you can't control your drug use.
For many years during early Recovery I didn't feel I deserved this better way of life. I had done so much bad during my using! I did in fact suffer from a misguided Moral Dilemma, I felt worthless because of bad choices instead of good choices during my active using. Once Clean and having the ability to make choices not ruled by active addiction making less than desirable choices become evidence of shortcomings.
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Work the Steps or Die MF. (My Friend :) Clean One Day At a Time by The Grace of God through The Power of NA
I always read the daily meditations in just for today before ,I begin my day.They give me a prospective on the day to come.I try and use something I read daily in my ongoing recovery and life .
