Daily Reprieve

From Courage to Change of April 06;

Just as the common cold has symptoms such as a runny nose and sneezing, alcoholism also has symptoms such as blackouts and mood changes. I have to accept that I, too, display symptoms similar to those of the alcoholic, among them obsession, anxiety, anger, denial, and feelings of guilt. These reactions to alcoholism affect my relationships and the quality of my life, but as I learn to recognize them and to accept that I have been affected by a disease, I begin to heal. In time, I discover feelings of self-worth, love, and spiritual connectedness that help me to counteract the old responses. No matter how severely I have been affected, Al-Anon can help restore me to sanity.

Alcoholism is stronger than good intentions or genuine desires. I didn’t choose this family disease; neither did the alcoholic. So I try to behave with compassion for us both.

Today’s Reminder

My acceptance of this family disease allows me to stop wasting energy fighting a hopeless battle, and to run instead to sources of genuine help and hope –Al-Anon and my Higher Power.

“By accepting the idea that alcoholism is an illness from which problem drinkers and those who care about them can find release, you will have no reason to be ashamed of alcoholism — no reason to fear it.” ~ So You Love an Alcoholic

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The disease concept of alcoholism did battle for me in the face of my past religious understanding of the drunkard. The destiny of those who fail to find sobriety  and maintain it was an eternal hell; especially if one had access to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. The profound sense of failure and shame did not help me find freedom from the direct and indirect effects of alcoholism. it was not until I approached the assault on my willpower and sanity as a disease of the body and mind that I could find the detachment necessary to implement a plan of action. I have also been able to connect to God through the 12 Step programs in a way that I never did in church gatherings.

I am grateful that I learned to put a disease in remission rather than perform a suicidal exorcism.

This entry was posted on September 21, 2020 at 7:39 pm and is filed under Uncategorized with tags Addiction, Alcoholism, Courage to Change, Journal, Life, Personal, Recovery, Spirituality. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.