Daily Reprieve

From Courage to Change of May 25:

An Al-Anon meeting is where I am most likely to get an honest answer to the question, “How are you?” This is refreshing to me, because for a long time my only possible answer to this question was, “I’m fine, how are you?” — even when I wasn’t fine at all.

Denial is a symptom of the effects of alcoholism. Just as alcoholics often deny their drinking problems, many of us who have been affected by this disease deny our problems as well. Although we may have been living in chaos, worried about our families, full of self-doubt, and spiritually, emotionally, and physically depleted, many of us learned to pretend that everything was just fine.

Today it is important for me to be in an environment in which honesty is practiced. I don’t necessarily launch into a detailed description of my woes or my joys — but when asked how I’m doing, I try to ask myself what the real answer is. This frees me from the habit of denial and gives me choices.

Today’s Reminder

How do I feel today? How am I doing? If I can answer those questions truthfully, I am more likely to pursue the help I need and to share the happy times with others as well.

“We can say what we mean only if we have the courage to be honest with ourselves and with others.”

~ The Dilemma of the Alcoholic Marriage

END OF QUOTE—————————————

Those of us who have experienced intimate betrayal, the witch hunt of religious organizations delving into private writings, and the prejudice of a judicial system aiding in the kidnapping of one’s children, know that a person’s honesty can be forged into a devastating weapon.

The anonymity of the Twelve Step program was essential in finding a safe place to evaluate my own motives and learn to trust again. The principle of being honest, truthful, and genuine is a hard-won prize in recovery and can only be fostered with others you know are truthfully invested in the well-being of its members. Not everyone can be trusted with our vulnerability. But I absolutely need to be honest with myself and with others who live in self-benefiting altruism. Those who claim to be offering aid self-sacrificially are a threat. If I am able to be honest with myself, I can choose to be honest with others. And I can choose who those others are.

This entry was posted on October 4, 2023 at 1:27 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.