A Problem Shared

The benefits of talking to others who have been in a similar situation to yourself. Also realising that other people have had the same problems and are facing the same challenges.

Addicts tend to isolate. They withdraw within themselves and try to cope alone. For men especially the 'stiff upper lip' and 'be a man' phrases of the past have perhaps kept at least half of the addicted population away from seeking help. Courage and bravery are often seen as some sort of violent success, of having 'won' something. Any admission of less than absolute perfection is quite often seen as weak and bad.

Not so. Admitting that we have a problem, expressing a desire to do something about it is far more 'brave' than most realise. It is the first step into a whole new life; a better life and a more peaceful, happy one too.

We often tend to rely on ourselves too; we know who we are ( or at least think we do ). Self knowledge is good. We can define our limits and boundaries but self knowledge alone can also be that isolating influence as we listen to our ego and feed it with negativity and bad emotions. The bigger that inner monster becomes the more we withdraw from a society that, we think, has wronged us. Sometimes it has but more often than not we imagine that it has.

When approaching someone who has encountered the same difficulties that we have it can often be nerve wracking. Don't forget though that that person has been there too and will be more generous and eager to help than you may realise. In talking to that individual, sharing your mutual experiences and discovering the 'Way Out' door that many of us want, we also realise that perhaps life wasn't so bad after all and that life is about to get better.

Yes we may have done a lot of wrong in the past and that morass of self pity will also keep us tied to our poison, but the certain knowledge that there is a way out and that others will be there to help you in your quest for a new freedom will be the sort of nectar that one could only dream of. To know that others have found their way, that, although their journey may have been a bit longer than yours should not matter. We all walk the path of recovery and wish all our fellows a safe journey too. We do not look down on those we are trying to help up either, for ours is a common, shared journey.