What was the worst part of active addiction? For many of us it was not the possibility that we would die at any moment from our illness. The worst thing was that every day we lived as if we had already died and that nothing in this life had any meaning. We were like ghosts, unable to live in the world and love anything around us.
In recovery we come to believe that we are here for a reason: to love ourselves and other people. By working the Twelve Steps we learn to accept ourselves. With this acceptance comes self-respect. We have realized that everything we do affects other people; we are part of their lives and they are part of ours. We have come to trust other people and take responsibility for them.
In recovery we have come back to life. We remain in this new way of life by contributing to the well-being of others and striving every day to do better – this is what the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Steps help us do. The days of living like ghosts are a thing of the past, as long as we make sure to be healthy and loving people and actively participate in life.
