The value of the past
“This firsthand experience in all phases of illness and recovery is of unparalled
therapeutic value. We are here to share it freely with any addict who wants to
recover.”
Basic Text, p. 10
Most of us came into the program with some serious regrets. We had never finished
high school, or we had missed going to college. We had destroyed friendships and
marriages. We had lost jobs. And we knew that we couldn’t change any of it. We
may have thought that we’d always be regretful and simply have to find a way to live
with our regrets.
On the contrary, we find that our past represents an untapped gold mine the first
time we are called on to share it with a struggling newcomer. As we listen to
someone share their Fifth Step with us, we can give a special form of comfort that no
one else could provide-our own experience. We’ve done the same things. We’ve had
the same feelings of shame and remorse. We’ve suffered in the ways only an addict
can suffer. We can relate-and so can they.
Our past is valuable-in fact, priceless-because we can use all of it to help the addict
who still suffers. Our Higher Power can work through us when we share our past.
That possibility is why we are here, and it’s fulfillment is the most important goal we
have to accomplish.
Just for today: I no longer regret my past because, with it, I can share with other
addicts, perhaps averting the pain or even death of another.