September is National Recovery Month.
The focus of my blogs throughout the month of September will be on addiction and its life destroying tendencies. The writings derive from my own personal experiences of battling addiction and living a life of recovery.
These specific writings are focused on the ACTÂ acronym.
ACT leads to sobriety…
A – Acknowledge you have a problem and you are powerless over it and you need help.
CÂ – Connect with a power greater than you and people who have solutions that will help you conquer your problem.
T – Take positive, recovery-oriented action every day.
From September 1 through the 7th, I wrote about the importance of Acknowledging there is a problem and the next several days I will be writing about the importance of Connect.
Today’s post is a continuation of yesterday’s (Sept. 8th) post.
While I was working hard to prove that I didn’t have a substance use disorder, my wife was working even harder behind the scenes to figure out what to do with me. Many times, the spouse becomes crazier than the user, this was not the case in our situation. I am extremely grateful for her strength, fortitude and unwillingness to become co-dependent during this hell I was taking her through.
She saved my life.
First and foremost, she had a small circle of Christian friends praying for me continuously during my roller coaster ride of addiction. I believe this is the most important connection she made throughout this process. I found out about this after I got sober. I am forever indebted to this group of ladies. Prayer is so powerful.
She had also contacted my psychologist and he told her what he told me–I needed help for my drugging and drinking problem. He suggested she contact an inpatient chemical dependency program in Dayton. She did that and somehow coaxed me into going and talking with a chemical dependency expert at that program. I guess I went because I wanted to prove to her and Dr. Bob, (my psychologist) that I didn’t have a problem.
Keep in mind, at this point in my using I was taking about 20 pills a day. “Taking” meant I was stealing from the pharmacies where I worked. Stealing meant I was committing felonies.
And I needed to take an assessment to see if I had a problem????
It’s denial that kills the addict, not the drug.
So I decided to meet with the chemical dependency expert.
More about this part of my Connection stage tomorrow.
John 8:32, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
P.E.A.C.E.
Jay@EagleLaunch.com
