how has overcoming addiction changed you personally?

[Ilsa]

since many of us have shared stories of recovery, and helped each other through some arduous moments, i wanted to create a space for acknowledging victories, no matter the magnitude. getting through and hour, or even just five minutes is a huge accomplishment at first. for me, overcoming the demons has yielded the following:
- a whole new level of self-knowledge
- the ability to be honest without judging myself (which directly counters one of the major reasons for my former use: self-loathing brought about by self-judgement)
- a sense that now that i've done this i can do anything i set my mind to. i've never had that feeling before, and i find it very empowering.
- i find myself treating my personal relationships with much greater regard and appreciation, after all my best friends are my family and they never gave up on me, while my biological family gave up on me 13 years ago
- i've practiced yoga and buddhism off and on for years, in a compassion-based practice (chenrezig), and that has deepened profoundly, esp in regard to anyone facing similar challenges to my own.
- complementary to the new-found awareness of empathy and compassion is a sense of connectedness to my environment and everyone with whom i come in contact
- the ability to sit with painful feelings, acknowledge them, accept them, and eventually release them

overall, i feel like the pall that addiction cast over my life is finally receding. last year was a year of loss, self-abuse and grief--by my own hand, admittedly. this year is looking like a year of healing and learning to live again. in addition to my 'family' i feel i owe thanks to many on this forum: i have learned from the struggles of others, as well as my own and because of this forum i never felt totally alone.

i started this thread because i feel like it's very easy to focus heavily on the negatives of recovery--we all owe ourselves a moment of recognition for an acheivement that society often eschews due to the stigma associated with drugs in general. every one of us that has broken free of addiction deserves credit for that accomplishment.

how has it changed you?

Reputation Comments on this post:

good thread topic