Misery is optional
“No one is forcing us to give up our misery.”
Basic Text p. 29
It’s funny to remember how reluctant we once were to surrender to recovery. We
seemed to think we had wonderful, fulfilling lives as using addicts and that giving up
our drugs would be worse than serving a life sentence at hard labor. In reality, the
opposite was true: Our lives were miserable, but we were afraid to trade that
familiar misery for the uncertainties of recovery.
It’s possible to be miserable in recovery, too, though it’s not necessary. No one will
force us to work the steps, go to meetings, or work with a sponsor. There is no NA
militia that will force us to do the things that will free us from pain. But we do have a
choice. We’ve already chosen to give up the misery of active addiction for the sanity
of recovery. Now, if we’re ready to exchange today’s misery for even greater peace,
we have a means to do just that-if we really want to.
Just for today: I don’t have to be miserable unless I really want to be. Today, I will
trade in my misery for the benefits of recovery.