Coming out of isolation.
“We find ourselves doing and enjoying things that we never thought we would be
doing.”
Basic Text, p.98
Active addiction kept us isolated for many reasons. In the beginning, we avoided
family and friends so they wouldn’t find out we were using. Some of us avoided all
nonaddicts, fearing moral backlash and legal repercussions. We belittled people who
had “normal” lives with families and hobbies; we called them “uncool,” believing we
could never enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Eventually, we even avoided other
addicts because we didn’t want to share our drugs. Our lives narrowed, and our
concerns were confined to the daily maintenance of our disease.
Today, our lives are much fuller. We enjoy activities with other recovering addicts.
We have time for our families. And we’ve discovered many other pursuits that give
us pleasure. What a change from the past! We can live life just as fully as the
“normal” people we once scorned.
Enjoyment has returned to our lives, a gift of recovery.
Just for today: I can find pleasure in the simple routines of daily living.