Many of us living in one day at a time recovery understand that these things called feelings can be wonderful human experiences. Although having wonderful feelings can be quite joyful and positive there are some of us who live in imperfect recovery who find some of our feelings can become way too influential becoming perplexing little gremlins that can throw our lives into variating tailspins. Sometimes they are even mistaken. The reality of this is our feelings can have a disabling effect on us and can create circumstances initiating relapse back into addiction. This is reality. We need stand on guard one day at a time. Feelings are the reason many of us have support systems. Many of us join support groups to help us navigate the waters of emotions safely. Some of us reach out for professional help. We need to get out of our own heads and our own hearts from time to time to be well enough to participate in life. It’s our responsibility. Peace
Many people we meet while searching for health and wellness are extraordinary people. Eventually we learn to make connections with such people. Often these people advocate for, and support people who live with mental health conditions. In all reality these extraordinary people can be ordinary in everyway which is possible. They can be people living with depression, anxiety or other disorders but they go on living life and coping with such adversity that would overwhelm most people. The amazing thing about them is that they go about their business living ordinary lives. Some of them might even have had difficulties with addictions but they don’t really open up about it except to say no thanks – I choose not to today. These ordinary people make things happen. They care, and they give us all hope. They are extraordinarily ordinary people. They live among us and they make life better for everyone. Peace.
Some people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality, or the seemingly reality of believing recovery is a futile endeavor. From Greek legend we heard that Sisyphus had cheated death twice. In doing so he was condemned to push a large boulder up a hill. Each time he neared the top the boulder would roll back down. This is what recovery feels like at times. When the boulder falls we, like Sisyphus, walk back down to retrieve it and give it another go. When we arrive at the bottom though, there are a few people waiting there asking us if we need a hand. We say yes. Recovery will always have its hills and boulders. It’s not futile. We know what hell is all about. Grace conquers it. Especially when we have help. It’s reality. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the relationship that occurs between responsibility and self-deceit. Responsibility is the cornerstone of one day at a time recovery and self-deceit tells us we can’t be responsible for ourselves. Self-deceit also tells us that we don’t need to find recovery. For people living with mental health disorders accompanied by addiction not believing we are responsible for our recovery is a dangerous form of self-deceit. Many of us call this living in denial and denial keeps us ill. Hopefully life and reality can dismantle this delusion and we learn that although we are not responsible for having our disorders we alone are responsible for participating and maintaining our recovery. There is no greater truth for us. When we realize this we reach out and find the help we need. We find we are not alone. As we discover an inextricable connection with other recovering people we understand the relationship that occurs between responsibility and self-deceit. We choose to maintain our recovery because of self-deceit. This endeavor creates an act of responsibility. Peace.
Those of us who live in one day at a time recovery know we live with the experience of the few. There just aren’t that many people living with mental health conditions complicated by addictions that actually learn how to live in one day at a time recovery. Those of us who find recovery become grateful to be of the few who do find it. We wish we could solve this conundrum and find recovery for us all but we can’t. This is the reality of our disorders. Each and every one of us who find one day at a time recovery know, lived and understand the pain caused by our disorders. It’s as real to us as the ground beneath our feet. If not we are delusional. Both ourselves and our advocates realize we actually help very few people but we have to try. So we move on. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery share with us the gift of understanding. The gift of understanding creates empathetic souls who understand the bad times in life that occur either before or after we come into one day at a time recovery. They understand difficulty and adversity and often sit with us in times of sadness and despair. They do this so we won’t feel alone. When this happens we get to understand the gift of understanding and the reality of one day at a time abstinence. This has saved the lives of many. This is not an exaggerated statement. The aloneness caused by mental health disorders complicated with addiction takes way too many of us. Often we are directed to reach out for professional help by those who have the gift of understanding. Understanding people know reality. We reach out and we understand that life will get better one day at a time. And it does. Peace.
People living in one day at a time recovery eventually understand that we don’t know what we don’t know. The sooner we get to learn this the sooner we get to learn that we cannot help everyone. This is a reality of finding recovery in the rooms of recovery. We simply don’t have the experience or the qualifications to be able to help everyone. In such an instance we hope we meet this reality with humility so we will know and understand this reality before we hurt someone. All we have to offer anyone is our experience, our strength and our hope. People in the rooms of recovery teach us this. We are not afraid to tell people we cannot play the roles of doctors, counsellors, or hotels. We’re a kinship of recovering people. That’s our one day at a time recovery and it’s our reality. Peace.
The reality of living in one day at a time recovery is when we are in recovery it requires us to listen to those of us we are in recovery with. Also we need others to listen to us. Listening, really listening, is a tool of recovery. In the beginning what most of us hear is simply noise. The reason for this is because we were in a fog of unmanageability and we were probably in some kind of trouble. Those who had been in recovery for a while heard our stories even if we didn’t say anything. They hoped we heard one simple phrase which was don’t pick up and keep coming back and maybe, just maybe, these words somehow registered in us even if we couldn’t comprehend. This is the reality of attending meetings in the rooms of recovery. More than likely we understand each other but we know we are not doctors or professional counsellors. So we listen, really listen and we find hope. We will be heard and we’ll learn to listen. One day at a time we will be okay. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery learn that difficult is not as difficult when we have been in recovery for a while. We seem to become a bit more resilient to adversity, and we become better equipped to face such adversities should we be able to use the recovery tools that one day at a time living lays at our feet. Such tools are acceptance, patience and surrendering to reality. When we admitted the unmanageability that drinking and using brought to our lives many of us surrendered to the principal of needing help. Often in desperation we reached out and something or someone intervened, and while in hospital, detox or rehab we saw our reality for what it really is. We are people living with addiction. Those of us who accept this get to understand and live recovery. Acceptance and surrender are crucial to healthy living. We also learn patience, as difficult as it may be because one day at a time growth takes time. In time we will learn that difficult is not as difficult as it used to be. We become more resilient and we’re not alone. We become akin and also inextricably connected to others in one day at a time recovery. If we meet in the rooms of recovery with the others we are akin with we experience beyond a doubt the reality of together. Recovery becomes reality. Peace.
Many of us living in one day at a time recovery are grateful for the sound of the dry cereal pouring into the bowl. The sound is tinkering, whimsical and pleasant. It is a musical sound of sobriety’s nutrition and love because we get to choose what we pour into it. It is the reality of a morning’s welcomed recovery. And we wonder – did we forget to mention it’s actually dry as in being dry? If you’re one of us you know how truly appreciated that is. We are facing reality and we are not reaching for the hair of the dog which means we are not starting the day trying to calm our nerves or numb our pain. We have hope today and we no longer want to die. It’s a gift of freedom from active addiction. Today we have a choice. We reach out and participate in our recovery. Gratitude is a gift. Peace.