The other day, someone posted a question in one of the online addiction recovery groups I’m in.
I answered the question in depth and realized after that this was a topic I wanted to blog about for quite some time.
Maybe I didn’t have the balls to do it.
Maybe I didn’t want to hear from a bunch of haters.
But more likely, I think I just had more important things I wanted to write about.
And thanks to this person’s question, and my detailed answer, I realized I wrote the blog post I’ve been wanting to publish in the form of my response.
In the words below, you’ll learn my view on this subject matter.
It’s just my current belief, and if it’s opposite to yours please refrain from getting angry.
I don’t hold onto my beliefs.
If I learn new information or have new experiences, my beliefs often change.
I’m open-minded and flexible.
Some people that read it will really resonate, and others will become totally outraged and insult me.
I know this because every time I write about my current beliefs about “recovery” this happens.
And yes, it’s the people in AA that believe “it’s the only way.”
Here is the question a man posted in the online addiction recovery group, along with my detailed response.
Question:
“Why do we count our clean date? Should we celebrate our freedom instead?
Anyone whos not counting and manage to stay clean? no meetings no facility, no doctor or treatment?
how do u deal with it?”
My Response:
“I don’t count my days or months or even remember my date. I don’t go to meetings or any type of “organized recovery” solutions.
I ended my addiction over 7 years ago.
I totally changed my life and built the life of my dreams.
I’m happier than ever, healthier than ever, wealthier than ever, have better relationships than ever, more positive habits than ever, in better shape than ever, and on and on.
Just like you don’t need to have a religion and go to church to have a relationship with God or be spiritual, I and millions of other people don’t need an “organized self-help program” to quit substances, stay quit, and create meaningful, wonderful, joyous, prosperous, and inspirational lives post-addiction.
It’s a common misconception that ALL people need meetings and an “organized program” created by someone else in the 1930s, but that’s just a myth.
People recovered from addiction for thousands of years before these programs, and they will recover for as long as humans inhabit the earth without these programs as well.
My favorite myth is that if you don’t go to meetings you’re “white-knuckling it.”
I haven’t had a craving or urge to use in over 7 years, and my life is filled with so many wonderful blessings.
I read books, listen to audibles, meditate, journal, exercise, eat well, sleep well, travel, do yoga, watch movies and shows, cook, go camping, nature hiking, swimming, and so much more.
I would be miserable if I switched my dependence from drugs to needing meetings and a sponsor and a big book to stay clean.
I contribute, give to charity, help others, help my family, and much more.
In essence, one could say that “I’m working a strong program of recovery.”
The only difference between mine and many others is that I simply don’t go to self-help meetings.
Yes, I made amends, I did a lot of work on my inner issues, am in contact with a higher power, and continue to work to be a better person, and my life is dedicated to service to others.
I don’t consider myself an “addict” and I don’t say I’m in “recovery.”
I say that a long time ago I was heavily addicted to drugs, then I quit and totally changed my entire life, and now I’m just a normal person.
I drink once or twice a year but usually don’t finish one drink, as it just makes me sleepy, and I take various legal natural substances and chemical nootropics PRN for medicinal use or more often bio-hacking, for instance for more energy and creativity while working, etc.
Every person is free to choose how they want to quit substances and stay quit, and how to frame their identity and how to describe their own personal idea of recovery.
One book written in the 1930s by two regular people isn’t “The One and Only Manual” on how EVERYONE MUST quit substances.
As quoted by that book, which is just a regular book (although many believe it to be the Bible of Addiction), “AA is merely a SUGGESTED program of recovery.” (I’m paraphrasing)
And even if the authors said it was mandatory, who the heck are two people from the 1930s that were drunks to have as much influence as Jesus Christ or the Buddha?
They created an amazing book and program, which has helped so many people it’s nearly unfathomable, but geez lueeeeeeze… so many members of AA go around as the “self-appointed AA police” to shame everyone that doesn’t do exactly what one book out of hundreds of books about addiction recovery says.
AA and the book are amazing, but I found a different path which worked great, and so do many others.
Whether it’s through the church, moving to a desert island, getting on a medication or two that help, joining the military, going to prison long-term, and on and on and on and on and on… and on.
By the way, I’m not suggesting that no one should go to AA or NA, etc.
I’m not suggesting that these are bad programs.
What I’m saying with absolute conviction is that the “Self-Appointed AA Police” or “Big Book Thumpers” don’t have any power over anyone but themselves.
When they tell people they are doing it wrong, whether with love or with shame tactics, I’m sure they mean very well, but ultimately, WE are the navigators of our lives.
We ultimately get to choose our own beliefs, or own values, or own RECOVERY STYLE, and anyone that says otherwise is simply brainwashed or narrow-minded, and at the least obtuse and close-minded.
I wanted to write this so in-depth because I feel like it will help maybe even one person.
In meetings, they often say “if you don’t keep going you’ll end up in jails, institutions, or dead.”
They are simply quoting a book that was written in the 1930s, and that saying is not based on any type of scientific evidence at all.
And that statement is actually invalidated by the millions of people that have recovered without self-help meetings, and the countless people that recovered before the 1930s and the people that live 200 miles from a meeting so they never go in the first place but still end their addictions.
My advice is simply to become an independent thinker.
Learn from different books as well.
There are hundreds of books on addiction and recovery, and endless books on psychology, philosophy, spirituality, health, relationships, and so much more.
Again, I’m strongly emphasizing that I love AA/NA etc., but certain members have taken it upon themselves to be “enforcers” of the book and program, and they fail to realize that there are many other types of programs helping people and that countless people recover WITHOUT ANY TYPE of “ORGANIZED” programs.
It’s a fact.
Indisputable, not arguable, and I and many others have proven it.
Does that path of self-recovery work for everyone?
Absolutely not.
Do I recommend it for everyone?
Heck no.
But “there are many paths to recovery” just like there are many religions, political views, etc.
So yes, to sum up my answer to your question, I have managed quite well in life post-addiction, without the use of meetings, counting my days, remembering a “sobriety date” (and I don’t consider myself in “recovery” or a “sober person”) and all the common things that people hear about.
I also told you how I manage and excel doing it, and I also reiterated that this is just how I recovered and how many others have as well, but that doesn’t mean my path is for everyone, or even for the majority.
To each their own, live and let live, and like AA says, “Open-mindedness and Willingness,” which obviously should include being open-minded and willing to accept that there is no wrong way to do it.
As long as you quit and stay quit and live a meaningful life, really who cares how you manage to stay away from active addiction?”
I live in a rural area and had the same doctor for 10 years.He gave me Methadone for 9 and in the 10th year he prescribed Tramadol for chronic pain. He also prescribed clonazepam for anxiety, Tirosint for hypo-thyroidism, Metoprolol for blood pressure, and Ibuprofen. I was going to a mental health doctor who gave me Prozac, Buspar, and Risperdal. Only recently I found out my PCP is on an absence of leave due to criminal charges, and now the Nurse Practioner from the mental health clinic left their practice too! I am in need of help! This medicine show is nothing to take lightly! Big Pharma and western medicine practices in the US has really gotten the better of me. Yes, I never forced the docs to prescribe all this stuff, but now I’m so used to taking it, and I don’t know where to turn to next! I have been going to 12 step recovery meetings but somehow I can’t resolve all my problems of pain, anxiety, and depression by just using their tools! I may be an addict but at AA their focus is on not drinking one day at a time. I really have no desire to get drunk! I have used drugs to help me with my body and mind, and even for the sake of feeling high or in better spirits, but now with no help to keep taking the meds I’ve been used to, and no info on how to wean myself off of the actually just less than a handful that I have left of the Tramadol and Clonazepam, I am scared and don’t even want to go to mtgs
anyway right now! Plus my sponsor told me it’s because I don’t go to meetings that I am not getting recovery. I’m lost!
If you could respond I would appreciate your input! Just to add I have been to NA but their mtgs start at 8pm and my vision is poor driving 25 miles at night
Thank you for your time!
Such a great article. And wonderful comments as well. I will always be grateful to AA/NA that helped me get “clean” and introduce me to people like me 15 years ago. I worked the 12 steps, got a sponsor and sponsored, but was timid then and lived in the shadows of the Old Timers. I didn’t want to rock the boat or break any rules, “unspoken” or not. I kept quiet at one meeting when my friends, who had no childcare, were kicked out of a closed meeting for bringing their newborn baby. I kept quiet about the fact I was bipolar and took medication that many Big Book Thumpers did not approve of and might accuse me of “going out” or relapsing. Then I had a terrible car accident which required multiple surgeries and pain management which included monthly shots of opiates over a period of years. It was during the beginning of this time, I became a topic of gossip and my “recovery friends” began to disappear when I was honest about my medical situation. My sponsor said they could no longer help me. I actually drew detractors who didn’t believe I was living a “sober” lifestyle. Instead of arguing, I left AA/NA and have been practicing my own path of spiritual and intentional living and have grown immensely through the difficult circumstances. I decided recently to get off of the opiates (which is how I found this awesome site!) and rely on more holistic ways of managing pain. The point I wanted to make are that the AA/NA Police exist in full force, but will only bully you if you let them. I was still early in my new found life and still eager to please people and ashamed of myself and my bipolar. The same people who are so quick to use The Big Book as their answer to everything can be quick to forget the parts that discuss the need for additional medical treatments and medications for those who need them. There is even an entire pamphlet called “Medications & Other Drugs” that says to always heed a doctor’s advice above the program’s. Like a young buck just finding its legs, finding confidence and a place in the world when getting off drugs and alcohol takes time. And so many of us have dual diagnosis, meaning we have more than than one chronic illness besides addiction (if you see it that way) and need medication to maintain a balanced lifestyle. But it’s up to us to educate the uneducated and the stubborn. Whether they are Old Timers, new comers, our doctors or our friends. AA/NA does change lives, it changed mine and taught me how to stop using. Just not how to keep living, that was up to me.
Beautifully written! I really enjoyed reading your take on this topic. It’s so nice to read all of the different viewpoints in this comment section. Thank you for participating in this discussion!
Great Post Matt!! Take what you need and leave the rest!!
Thanks Mark! And absolutely my friend! “Take what you need and leave the rest” – Love it!
Anther great acronym: HOW… Honesty, Openness, and Willingness. I don’t have time right now to elaborate on the topic. But, I have had similar experiences with the author and others, I can RELATE as they say in AA. I owe my life to AA, But my life has to be more than going to hear drunkalogues. I am not religious, but I honestly believe in a God, Simply marvelous. Btw, God doesn’t need your prayers, just stay clean, and everything will get better. “He” knows what you need. Sometimes we need hard lessons. Learn from your experience and move on. Life is not easy for everyone on this planet; we all have our burdens and challenges.
Great comment. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this, and it’s great to hear from you.
its so sad that you Matt think and call AA and The Big Book “self-Help” you have missed the entire point and message——–SELF HELP is self reliance and does not bring recovery. God -Help is the ONLY thing the 12 steps offer and is the opposite of Self Help…..Im sure you help people but you do not understand the point of the steps at all!!
Thanks for letting me know your view on this. I appreciate the feedback.
Yes well said.AA is just swapping one dependence for another & has let alot of people down, the AA group are often compared to negative groups like nazis etc.Even in shows such as Family Guy & South Park AA’s many, many flaws have been made open for everyone to see , not to mention the pure hypocrisy of this over rated & out of date with modern times method of AA, the way they bully & shame their own members like everyone has to be perfect or they are out.Many agree it’s closer to a cult & a bad one at that, stuck in the 1930’s no less , no I’m not a hater , just saying what everyone was thinking.It’s called reality.
I agree with your view point as well. To label “addicts” as in “recovery” is a constant reminder of that life and another label! It makes addicts feel that once they have gone down that dark road of drug abuse they will forever have some label and when these people want to be clean and get clean who wants to then still be labeled in that category rather than be a normal person which is what addicts really want to be. Thanks for all your hard work Matt and for creating this place for people who need help!
Thanks for commenting and for the feedback! I enjoyed reading your take on this, and I appreciate you adding value to this discussion!
Hey Matt & everybody else here!
I remember finding myself in the rooms of AA/NA about 25 yrs ago & admittedly, I felt it was a great place to go to learn how to get clean & change your lifestyle. It offered support, suggestions for almost any topic & was a place that could really help a person. But even back then, I knew that it wasn’t going to be a “forever” place for me. There’s power (& empowerment) in numbers & I learned a lot about myself through these meetings back then. However, I also learned early on that the 12 step approach to sobriety wasn’t going to be for everyone on a long term basis & I was one of those people. It helped me to gain knowledge & build a foundation, but in time it also felt like a place where it was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. I felt like I needed to expand more spiritually, making me feel suffocated there at times because I wasn’t feeling the inner connection any longer that I knew I truly needed if I really wanted to grow & evolve as a (clean) spiritual being. I was quickly realizing that the rooms of AA/NA wasn’t going to be a “way of life” for me – as suggested. Granted, there were certain steps & behaviors that I learned in those meetings that were truly necessary for me to do or embody in order to be change that I envisioned for myself and it was BECAUSE I was ready for change that what I was learning was happening very organically. But I also knew in the deepest part of me that the 12 steps & the familial environment it provided wasn’t feeling like it was quite enough for me anymore. It had a purpose & it’s place in helping me to help myself, but once I truly understood certain things about myself, my addiction & the person I was evolving into, that my path was going in a different direction. Shortly afterwards, I didn’t ever go back into the rooms of AA/NA.
Now, I always move in a direction where I feel intuitively & spiritually called to & AA/NA isn’t that place. I’m like most people & had my share of relapses and they were an important part of my process, but those happened up until about a decade ago. I changed my entire life about 9 yrs ago & I’ve been “clean” for the last 8yrs. I struggled for the first year or so, but it wasn’t because of being an NA member who wasn’t going to meetings. It was quite honestly because I was making huge changes and adjustments in my life & I hadn’t fully let go of my addictive behaviors yet. It took time for me to fully embrace & embody a drug free life. There’s a lot to be said about what AA/NA offers & it was a great starting place because it taught me a lot, but I agree with Matt, it is not a lifestyle that is for everyone (& it is a lifestyle).
I was one of the people who needed to go on methadone & I wholeheartedly believe that I couldn’t have changed my life without it. Some of us need to utilize a “middle ground” (something like methadone) in order to afford ourselves the best chance at getting clean & embodying change. I knew that I would never be able to stop using drugs if I had to go through the long & horrific process of opiate withdrawals. To this day, it is opiate withdrawals that is still my #1 largest fear of my life (it may seem dramatic to you, but it’s the truth), there’s not much that scares me in life, but there’s nothing that even compares to fear that I get in my heart when I envision myself withdrawing. So methadone was my middle ground, it was the bridge that I needed to get from point A to point B. There’s NOTHING wrong with this! I just wish that more people understood that other people’s judgments of HOW a person decides to get clean or maintain their sobriety is very unique and personal – there isn’t any “one size fits all”. I do realize that when a person isn’t done with their addiction yet, they may use a topic like this to manipulate their situation or for the purpose of bypassing the change altogether – that’s resistance & it’s a trademark behavior associated with addiction (or with any behavior a person isn’t ready to change yet). But I’m talking about those who are truly ready for change & are no longer trying to use drugs anymore.
For anybody who has stopped an addiction, there comes a time when we have this deep realization inside when we JUST KNOW that we’re done with using drugs. I remember that realization like it was yesterday. But it was upon having this realization came this huge internal shift & in that shift came a total redirection in my life. It’s all of this combined that redefines who we are, how see ourselves & where we’re being called to go in our lives. As my life began to unfold for me, it was not difficult to see that AA/NA wasn’t a part of it.
Thanks for sharing this topic, there’s going to be plenty more who will have their own views and beliefs about this too & want to share too! I appreciate that you’ve provided a platform for this.
With deep respect & appreciation,
Allyson (Sixx) Costello
Beautifully said, Allyson (Six) Costello! And I can only second this, as you have summed up my experience with being an addict and my (evolving) path to recovery.
I have always hated labels and how quick humans are to classify and label one another. I believe that cheapens the human experience and it speaks volumes of those who are so quick to label others, and less of the one being classified. Ignorance is often wearing a mask of Intelligence and sometimes hard to distinguish between the two. But, with experience I have learned that wisdom is open mindedness, acceptance, and Love!
I believe sobriety is not contained within a definition in the pages of a book, not the experience of a few people and what their experiences have been. But, rather it’s a profound shift within an individual. I am not taking away from AA/NA. The program has been a Saving Grace for so many. I agree with Matt and not Everyone is just “white knuckling” through everyday without meetings. While meetings may be absolutely necessary for some, I don’t believe it is required of Everyone Post-addiction. Although the 12 steps are wonderful, as a set of guidelines and a great place to start, use of medications can be life-saving for others.
Thank You Matt! I read & re-read your blogs and you have given me so much hope at some very low and lonely times in my life! Keep them coming!
Thank You!
Leigh A. King
Allyson… Wow! Such a thoughtful post you’ve written here. I love it so much! This is a really charged topic for many, and I’m delighted to see so many people sticking up for the right to choose one’s own path depsite being told by some that it’s wrong and dangerous to do so. I appreciate you!
your article should be directed towards NA not AA. AA is for people with drinking problems only. it was designed that way.
I believe Matt’s response was directed towards all 12-Step groups in general. You sound like the exact same person Matt was referring to–the AA policeman who thinks only self-identified “alcoholics” should be allowed to share in AA meetings, and those with drug problems should go elsewhere.
News flash: There are very few people who go to AA meetings nowadays who aren’t also cross-addicted to other drugs as well (and alcohol IS a drug). This is 2019, not 1930.
So you would deny admittance to anyone who doesn’t pass the “purity” test for alcoholism? Or be the guy in the meeting who yells “This is AA, don’t talk about drugs!” if the speaker dares mention drugs in their share?
And who said “it was designed that way?” Please refer to the AA pamphlet entitled “Alcohol and Other Drugs” and the Big Book chapter entitled “The Doctor’s Opinion.”
Let’s be honest. The rooms would be (practically) empty if “Alcoholics Only” were the case. And you would be doing AA a great disservice by not welcoming with open arms every person who needs help–no matter what substance they’re abusing—including alcohol.
Hi John S, thanks for your explanation. Yes, I really meant AA, NA, etc. And at least at the many different meetings I attended over the years, that was my experience as well… the majority of members also were addicts/alcoholics or just addicts. This article was directed at AA Police and NA Police and any other “program enforcers” that tell people they’re doing recovery wrong if they don’t do it like they think one should.
Hi John Beaton, I’ve found at least in my own experience that many of the members of AA either also have drug problems currently or in the past, or they’re a former or current drug addict and not an alcoholic. But that’s just my experience from the past, and I’m always open to new information and feedback, and for this I thank you. Appreciate you adding your input to this conversation.
Nor the pain I’m in. (my last sentence should have read)
What if you really need the pain medication, I know I do, even then, if I have a bad day, there’s not enough pain medication in the world that will help, I just, sadly but true, BEAR It and hope tomorrow is a little bit better. I have tried many of your recommendations, some had limited help, while most had no benefits at all. So I say to you, some of us need the medication, wish I didn’t. I even add alcohol on some days just to get some relief. I was in AA for 17 years, loved it, then my back totally blew out, along with both knees, my neck, and one shoulder and my right foot (long story about how this all happened). I know all about the AA police and believed in them under certain circumstances – you will never get them to believe as you do, so don’t even try. I was a loyal member for so many years, was asked to speak at many, many Speaker Meetings, which I did, it was my part of giving back. But when all my physical problems started, I went on the pain meds, then started drinking again – I’m doing both now and it’s not an ideal situation, not one I would wish on anybody. I just want to stop hurting. I actually tried to stop it all about 5 years ago, went back to AA, got off the booze and pills. What I discovered even worse than the AA police, were the Politically Correct Police now had taken over – you can only talk for a certain amount of time, you can’t hurt anybody’s feelings, you have to stay on topic – good grief, no wonder AA is getting such a bad rap. I’ll take the old AA police anyday over the new millennial police. Well, after I got reprimanded a few times for breaking the new rules, I knew the new AA was not for me anymore, besides, I couldn’t stand the pain, I’m on 50 Fentanyl MCG/Hr and four 15 mg Oxycodone daily, it’s not even enough to touch the pain on bad days, and on good days it only helps about 40%. So what I’m saying, there is not a one system fits all – you don’t like the AA police, I don’t like the AA millennials, not the pain I’m in.
Great points Jeff. The chronic pain epidemic is huge right now, and unfortuantely the patients that really need and benefit from opioids are often having a hard time getting the treatment that helps them due to the new CDC opioid prescribing guidelines. It’s not fair at all that chronic pain patients that use opioids responsibly to alleviate pain are paying for the actions of others, and I played my part in it too when I was an opioid addict. I haven’t been to a meeting in over 7 years, and that’s sad that now there are also the “policitically correct (PC) police.” That must turn many people off when they go the first time, or go back after a break. Thanks for posting your experience on this topic. I love learning new things.
Great article. I used NA 35 years ago and it helped quit drugs but I am older now and was a “normie” for 35 years until I injured my back and had surgery. I was prescribed opiates for pain relief and started self-medicating with alcohol to deal with the pain and depression. I was in rehab 5 times in 7 years to get off these horrible addictive pain meds. All the rehab centers had AA meetings every day. I really liked the meetings except for what you said in your article. The AA police really turned me off. I was told by a lead person that the reason I relapsed was b/c I stopped going to meetings. What? I became physically addicted to Vicodin due to a back injury, not b/c I stopped going to meetings. This sort of turned me off. I still attend meetings occasionally. I totally agree with you and what your article was about. Keep up the great work!
Hi Mark, thanks for writing about this. I’m sure there are likely some meetings without police there, but in my years of going I couldn’t find one where they at least didn’t attend a lot of the time. Amazing and spiritual program with fellowship and steps and principles to become a better person and quit substances for good, but the police can be a turnoff for a certain percentage of us.
I agree wholeheartedly with your post about AA! In fact, if I had better organizational skills I would have written this myself! Thank you, Matt!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this piece! I wanted to write it for at least 2 years so I’m thankful to the person in the recovery group who asked a question related to this topic, as it inspired me to write a detailed response… which ended up being this article. I got lucky haha! Thanks Rose!
Matt, you couldn’t have written a better article! I have over 5 years of sobriety and no longer go to meetings. I do know my clean date bc of a profound spiritual awakening that occurred that catapulted my life forward. I love NA/AA but strongly dislike the NA/NA police! Both PROGRAMS do teach alot of valuable l information and I learned a great deal from them. But if one doesn’t use and implement the information it’s just that information. I also consider myself in recovery and not an addict. Which as you know is a huge no no with them.
What I dont understand is open-mindedness is said to be a spiritual principle of both groups but when something dosent line up with what the big book or basic text say or teach or better yet with the police then open-mindedness is out the window!
There are many approaches to getting and staying clean. And for anyone to say that Aa/na are the be all and end are are very closed minded.
I signed up for your mailing list even though I had over 3 years clean because i believe in learning as much as i can to combat addiction and will the rest of my life. I find your material very informative.
Keep up the great work!
Thanks,
Frank
Thank you Frank!! I agree 100%. And wow!… 3 years on my mailing list?! Thanks for following! And I appreciate the kind words my friend. One of my favorite quotes goes something like “The mind is a like a parachute, it only works if it’s open.” I live by it!
What an outstanding article. I accept people who choose 12 step programs for their recovery, Unfortunately they don’t accept my independent recovery. It is unfortunate that if you get sober another way than a 12 step program your considered dry or if on MAT not sober at all. 12 step programs are too closed minded and outdated which I don’t think the very cofounders intended especially Bill W with his experiments with LSD and Niacin etc. As long as your living a healthy life or seeking to your in recovery. GREAT ARTICLE
Hi Tena, I’m really stoked you enjoyed this article so much. And I’m also saddened when someone on Medication-Assisted Treatment tells me they get shamed in 12-step meetings for being on medicine that helps them avoid active addiction and helps them get their lives back together.
Some people on MAT say “I’m not clean but I’m okay with being on medicine.” And some say “I’m clean and taking Subxoone (or Subutex or methadone etc), but the people at the meetings tell me I’m not clean and discourages me and makes me feel bad about myself.” Many different versions of these… I’ve heard a lot of them.
The worst I’ve heard is people saying they went to meetings and disclosed that they were on MAT, then having AA police tell them they need to start tapering off and get off fast so they can start counting their clean time once they detox, and these people are not their doctors.
Pretty dangerous and due to wanting to be accepted at the meetings and have the pride of saying they are clean, many people detox off MAT before they’re ready to please the members who don’t accept them on MAT. This is a whole other article topic you’ve brought up, and now I’ll put it on my list to write about. Thank you so much.
Great blog Matt! I agree with you 100%!
Thank you very much!!
A love note, amidst all the hate:
I’ve been an silent, avid reader of yours, probably one of your biggest fans, since you’ve started Opiate Addiction Support.
Nights when I would withdraw – I read your blogs, listened to your motivational videos, etc. You’ve played a HUGE part in my recovery.
I’m sure you have very tough skin, considering all that you’ve been through, but I hope you don’t get a bunch of backlash and haters from this. If you do, just know that you have AT LEAST one person who agrees with EVERYTHING you’ve said. It’s impossible to assume addiction is a “one size fits all” type thing. I think AA/NA is great because you have a community of support, but other than that, it wasn’t for me either.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all the ways you’ve helped me without even knowing. You are incredible and keep up the amazing work you’re doing!
Awe you’re so sweet to me! Ally, I thank you with sincere gratitude for writing this, and it warms my heart to know that you’ve benefited from this website… and for so long how cool!
But… I want to apologize to you and the others who commented for taking so long to respond to you all. I meant to respond the day after I published it but was so busy all July that I didn’t stay organized.
I thank you and every one else for writing in as this topic is one I’m very passionate about, and it has been lovely to read your comment and all of the others too. Take care Ally!! 🙂
Take care,
Nicely said. Thank you.
My pleasure, and thanks for commenting.
I agree 100%>>
Thanks for commenting and it’s nice to know others feel strongly about this topic too.