IMMERSION

In any 12-Step Program, we attendees enjoy fellowship discussions in a way few can understand, as the substance of our conversations is grounded in recovery language and steeped in a raw authenticity.  Like other self-help and support groups with specific themes funneling similarly-affected attendees to appropriate rooms for targeted discussions, addiction recovery, if worked with a true heart, can lead to a lifestyle of change, new plateaus, new normals, and new discoveries in every household affected.  We come together and talk about how addiction has affected us and our loved ones, centering around our ability to heal, forgive, find ourselves again, and return to making a contribution to community and society.

Recently recovery as we have known it in our household took on a fascinating, never-before-experienced dimension.  For a few days and nights, we were joined by visiting friends also in recovery, and our time together had a feel of immersion as meals, TV time, and even touring time in the car included conversations about Program, recovery, and working our 12 Steps. As we shared, in groups of two directly in addiction and two supporters, or in a larger group of four, each of us experienced memorable “AHA!” moments as we pushed through previous mental or emotional roadblocks and, with the help of our partners, saw a perspective never seen before.  The love we showed each other chased away pain, embarrassment, frustration, anxiety, and fear, replacing them with relief, self-forgiveness, release, and courage.  We had not planned for this to happen.  It just did.  It was a gift, and we knew it.

As our visit ends, I am compelled to pass on the gift I’ve been given, in the form of what may sound like advice, but I hope is taken as counsel. 

1)   Please know that you are never alone in any debilitating emotion.  Someone is waiting for you to come into a room and open your heart.  Know that that room is a safe place for you to share that inner part of yourself that feels broken, but with help, can heal.   

2) Once in a group setting of souls journeying together toward a better future, you may find one or two whose stories resonate with you.  When it feels right, make connection outside that periodic group meeting with the one who is receptive.  A kindred spirit may be just a cup of coffee away.

3)  If you have a chance to be under the same roof for a few days with this kindred spirit, grab it.  Embrace the time you spend together and share the same authenticity previously known only in your meeting room.  Suddenly your Program progress will accelerate as pearls of wisdom are strung into beautiful necklaces of hope and faith.  Wear them as remembrances of what is possible when ultimate love and trust extend into the life and experience of another, soul to soul, heart to heart.

I wish you positive change as you reconnect with yourself into a new normal.  I pray that you go forward and use the opportunity of recovery to discover the best that you have inside, and to shed all that has ever held you back from knowing the beauty and fulfillment you deserve.