Post by caressa on Mar 21, 2009 15:27:51 GMT -5
A Treatable Illness
"Addiction is a disease that involves more than the use of drugs."
NA Basic Text p. 3 - Just For Today
Ironically, I found that more people in AA were more accepting of the disease than people in NA. Yet, as an addict, I found that I could relate to the disease more on a persona level than I could as an alcoholic. The alcoholism I related to my father and not my own disease.
As an addict, I recognized my own failings. I was at dis-ease within myself. Because of that dis-ease, I looked for something outside of myself for many years to find that something that would fill me and make me whole. I thought I had found it in drugs. Alcohol is a drug. I used it like I used all people, places and things to ease that turmoil and insanity that was going on within me.
My disease is one of perception. I didn't see things as others saw them. My disease was one of body malfunciton. I didn't metabolize things as other people did, and I could use like other people could. I always had to have more. And the more became not enough, and I still need more, or I turned to another substance, and had to have more of that. It was a vicious cycle.
My disease was spirtual in nature. I got so I didn't care about me or anyone else. It was all about the drugs to the exclusion of everythings else. They became my God. All my values, boundaries, principles, and feelings of worthiness, self-respect, self-esteem, self-care were forgotten and I felt like the lowest of the low. This is a spiritual program that raise me up to a level of awareness and wholeness that I never thought possible.
"Addiction is a disease that involves more than the use of drugs."
NA Basic Text p. 3 - Just For Today
Ironically, I found that more people in AA were more accepting of the disease than people in NA. Yet, as an addict, I found that I could relate to the disease more on a persona level than I could as an alcoholic. The alcoholism I related to my father and not my own disease.
As an addict, I recognized my own failings. I was at dis-ease within myself. Because of that dis-ease, I looked for something outside of myself for many years to find that something that would fill me and make me whole. I thought I had found it in drugs. Alcohol is a drug. I used it like I used all people, places and things to ease that turmoil and insanity that was going on within me.
My disease is one of perception. I didn't see things as others saw them. My disease was one of body malfunciton. I didn't metabolize things as other people did, and I could use like other people could. I always had to have more. And the more became not enough, and I still need more, or I turned to another substance, and had to have more of that. It was a vicious cycle.
My disease was spirtual in nature. I got so I didn't care about me or anyone else. It was all about the drugs to the exclusion of everythings else. They became my God. All my values, boundaries, principles, and feelings of worthiness, self-respect, self-esteem, self-care were forgotten and I felt like the lowest of the low. This is a spiritual program that raise me up to a level of awareness and wholeness that I never thought possible.
. I will be back looking for Lin and others.