Alcoholism and addiction epitomize despair. They rob us of our potential and joy. They rend families and destroy friendships. They ruin health and careers. They steal our energy and our time. I’ve described active addiction as a black hole into which we throw our lives, our very souls. Coming out the other side of addiction is strange. Many of us are left to wonder what the purpose of all of that suffering was. Could this be the grand plan of a loving and all-powerful Creator? Why? If not that, were we just selected by universal happenstance to suffer unnecessarily? What a drag!
If it be any solace to you, Dear Reader, allow me to offer you the following upside: the weapons you use to fight your addiction are useful against many enemies. If you fight your addiction by being slow to anger, does that not make you more virtuous than just in temperance? If you fight your addiction with rigorous honesty, do you not reap the benefits of trust and fidelity? If you fight your addiction with altruism and generosity, do you not become a better person?
Perhaps your recovery comes in the form of a 12-step program. If so, when you start taking your inventory, you will identify character defects and then you will develop strategies to address them. Further yet in your program, you will begin to make amends for the people you have harmed. These steps are vital to recovery and they help addicts to live with the damage they have caused in their addiction. As we continue through the steps, we work to maintain this cleansed state by promptly admitting when we are wrong.
The result of this steadfast effort to address our addiction is the general benefit of improving our character. In turn, by improving our virtuousness, we develop a zeal and joy for sobriety that is a powerful defense against the temptation of relapse. For those of us who drank or used for enjoyment, how much enjoyment did we get by the time we were looking for a way out? Practically none. Sobriety gives us the ability to enjoy the world around us in a way drugs or alcohol never could.
You may consider it unfortunate you developed an addiction to alcohol or drugs. I can’t imagine anyone who would willingly choose it. That said, this misfortune can be addressed in a way to allow you to grow into a better version of yourself.
And then what? I’m sorry to say that recovery from addiction does not mean the world takes a break from throwing misfortune your way. There will be the occasional traffic jam, broken appliance, family illness, etc. You will likely experience sadness and grief in your recovery, as they are basic human emotions and experiences which sobriety will not completely ward away.
The good news here, though, is that you will be equipped to process these feelings. You can keep perspective on your life and focus on solutions. You can focus on what you need to do to address those issues in your life. And for the things troubling you that are out of your control, you will know the peace of leaving the solution in the hands of whatever benevolence force you believe in.
Dear Reader, as addicts, our earthly salvation is through action guided by an examining conscience. Overcoming challenges through virtue is a blessing of recovery and I hope you will experience it so that the depth you once sunk to will have some greater purpose and use for you.
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