Our friendships become deep, and we experience the warmth and caring which results from addicts sharing recovery and a new life.
IP No. 19, Self-Acceptance
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Most of us come to Narcotics Anonymous with few genuine friends. And most of us arrive without the slightest understanding of what it takes to build lasting friendships. Over time, though, we learn that friendships require work. At one time or another, all friendships are challenging. Like any relationship, friendship is a learning process.
Our friends love us enough to tell us the truth about ourselves. The old saying, The truth will set you free, but first it will make you furious, seems especially true in friendship. This can make friendships awkward. We may find ourselves avoiding certain meetings rather than facing our friends. We have found, though, that friends speak out of concern for us. They want the best for us. Our friends accept us despite our shortcomings. They understand that we are still a work in progress.
Friends are there for us when were not there for ourselves. Friends help us gain valuable perspective on the events in our lives and our recovery. It is important that we actively cultivate friendships, for we have learned that we cannot recover alone.
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Just for today: I will be grateful for the friends I have. I will take an active part in my friendships.
I know when I found the rooms I really did not have any friends , very few for sure . At my first meeting I was confused on hoe friendly they were. It was an hour long and at break I wanted to leave . A man told me to come back in , me ,him , and another man went out and had coffee after the meeting . One of the two of them gave me a ride for the first 90 days . I went away on a men's retreat to Maine with only 100 days clean . It is were I realized we were all the same all addicts .I still have those friends now one became my sponsor for 8 years, until his job changed us but I still call him weekly .I value the friends I have now they are real friends.
