You may have been told to never forget where you came from when it comes to your addiction. This could be baffling to someone who cannot wait to forget all the negative parts of their past. Hold up before you erase all of your vital memories so that you do not have any proof in your mind that those times existed. You will definitely need those flashbacks to stay sober.
In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous page 124 in the chapter “The Family Afterward”, it states, “Cling to the thought that, in God’s hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have – the key to life and happiness for others.” “The painful past may be of infinite value to other families still struggling with their problem.”
The past brings about shame and guilt that may be difficult to sort out and is what makes people want to drink or use to forget what happened before. With the help of the 12 Steps or with therapy, all of your shame and guilt can melt away and uncover your experience, strength, and hope that can be useful to others that may be in the same situation that you have been in.
When thinking about what you did in past tense might be really uncomfortable to divulge. This may take some time to be able to say these things out loud to another person, but when you do you will feel a relief when you are able to express yourself more freely when it comes to what you were like in comparison to what you are like now.
The most important part of continuously recalling what you mistook for the good old days is that when you start to feel good in your recovery your pesky addiction can make you believe that you are well enough to partake in drugs and alcohol once again. You may forget what it is like when you take that first drink or drug and you are unable to stop. If you conveniently dismiss all of your memories of the rotten things that you might have done while under the influence just because they are embarrassing, you are in jeopardy of repeating history. Keeping that humiliating retrospection alive give you a better chance to not do the same thing over and over which can showcase your insanity when you use or drink in any capacity.
Staying sober will give you a wonderful opportunity to be of service to others in the essence of letting them know what you were doing did not work and if you can spare them the pain, they should welcome your warning. The moral of the story is not to be afraid of your past because it will accentuate your present if you just let go.
Renewal Recovery Solutions is an extensive inpatient treatment center that offers a spectrum of benefits that can help someone that is struggling with drugs and alcohol to get sober. We provide innovative clinical services combined with a traditional therapeutic curriculum to accommodate our clients every need.
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