I have been in treatment for my substance abuse issues on two occasions. Once at Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California, and once in my hometown clinic, Alcohab in Janesville, Wisconsin.
Both times a great deal of emphasis was put on A.A. and the 12 step program in helping Addicts and Alcoholics to recover from their illness. It is not as simple as just quitting. That is the severe mistake that many make, and the main reason they fail miserably in their attempts. Good intentions, but bad planning or no planning at all.
Sobriety does not come easy for us. It is something we have to work at the remainder of our lives. But it can be a pleasure and have tremendous rewards if we apply these 12 simple principles in our recovery efforts.
Think about the word recovery. We are trying to recover the life that we lost through our using of drugs and alcohol. Recovering work reputations, friends and family relationships, financial security and so on.
Sobriety is something new to us. A whole new way of living that we are not educated on how to do. The 12 steps of A.A. is a good starting point. The next series of poems describes how I applied each step to my life in my recovery efforts. How it affected me, and what you can expect in your own recovery efforts by applying these simple measures.
Please do not ignore this critically important part of this book. Apply these ideas and actions into your own life. See if you do not notice change from the second that you start. You have a lot of things to fix, a lot of flaws to change and a lot of lost time to make up for. A good life is awaiting you. Start living, today, as it was God intended, no longer a slave to the bottle, the pipe, the pill, or the powder.
Put those days behind you, and look forward to a life of clean and sober living, free of guilt and regret. Full of hope and dreams for a brighter future. Let the 12 steps help you out of your mess, and get started down that brighter road, and do it today. Tomorrow never comes. You have put it off long enough. You have the tools; now, to put your illness to rest.
So what are you waiting for?
