The life of the individual in the throes of addiction, including that of the significant others of the addict or alcoholic, undergoes a transformation from a life where the addicted individual delights in the perceived freedom experienced through the effects of alcohol or other drugs to an existence where every conscious thought is focused on that next drink or drug. Addiction extinguishes the basic freedoms of the individual and enslaves its victim in a seemingly endless journey of loneliness and pain that " *** many pursue to the gates of insanity or death (Alcoholics Anonymous, Chap. 3, More about Alcoholism)."
However, recovery from addiction can restore to the individual all of the freedoms lost to the power of addiction, and, in the case of those who pursue a spiritual recovery journey, can result in "*** a new freedom and a new happiness (Alcoholics Anonymous, Chap. 6, Into Action)." Here are are some of these freedoms (to name but a few):
Freedom From:
1. Use of alcohol or other drugs.
2. Fear.
3. Concern for what others think.
4. Overwhelming guilt.
5. Self-pity.
6. Selfishness and self-seeking.
2. Fear.
3. Concern for what others think.
4. Overwhelming guilt.
5. Self-pity.
6. Selfishness and self-seeking.
Freedom To:
1. Love others, unselfishly.
2. Be of service to others.
3. Discover who I am and Whom I wish to become.
4. Seek to develop and improve my spiritual condition.
2. Be of service to others.
3. Discover who I am and Whom I wish to become.
4. Seek to develop and improve my spiritual condition.
These are but a few of the freedoms that recovery from addiction can bring. I invite readers of this post to add their own recovery freedoms. Jan Edward Williams, www.alcoholdrugsos.com, 07/14/2014.
