Autumn Reflection...A Fulfillment Of The Promises

The summer passed with only one entry to this blog. No personal reflections, musings or meditations. It was not that I was lacking content or too busy. The fact is that I was celebrating summer and early fall, celebrating life…just celebrating. My wife, Bonita, and I were able to take two of our grown children to Maui for two weeks. My business grew and promised to expand beyond my dreams. We went to an October Chicago playoff game at Wrigley Field. These things would not have been possible seven years ago.

In October 2000, at age 49, I had just completed a four month residential alcohol and drug treatment program at Talbott Recovery Campus in Atlanta. My addictions had ravaged my life and the lives of my family for more than twenty years. I lost everything more than once in that time…my first marriage, the relationship with my children, jobs, finances…and on and on. My counselors told me that I would never work in my field (addiction services) again. It was a time of starting over. But things get better and miracles happen in recovery. Sometimes quickly and sometimes slowly…healing occurred in every facet of my life. Family reunited and happy…financially secure (if there is such a thing)…career restored...it all came together.

There we were, sitting in the famed bleachers at The Friendly Confines of Wrigley field in October. I am a life-long fan of The Chicago Cubs. My daughter Courtney, wife Bonita and I sported newly purchased Cub clothes as we gazed out at the bright green newly planted turf towards the historic home plate where Babe Ruth defiantly “called his shot”. We could almost see Ron Santo in the announcers booth, animated and thrilled…as we all were. The rowdy bleacher bums, plump delicious hot dogs, perfect weather and post season baseball on The North Side…Priceless. In the words of Harry Carey and my counselor Jim Weigel (he is also Commissioner of The Northern League of Professional Baseball by the way)…”Whoda Thunk It”.

The Promises that they talk about in Alcoholics Anonymous seemed unreal to me. Unimaginable! They may have been written in good faith, and someone might have experienced such recovery but I was sure that they would not happen for me. I include them here for all who believe as I did. They are written for you.

If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through.

(1) We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.
(2) We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.
(3) We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.
(4) No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.
(5) That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.
(6) We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.
(7) Self-seeking will slip away.
(8) Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
(9) Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.
(10) We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
(11) We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.
(12) Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.

Recovery is rich and rewarding. It restores and enriches life. I highly recommend it.

Comments

[joyce smith]

suboxone is just as addictiveas methadone, so this isn't a treatment to help an addict get off drugs, it only gives an addict the choice of changing to another drug.I know this for a fact, so please do not fall for this lie.someone is just wanting to make some more money.

[Bob]

Greetings Joyce. You are misinformed. It is true that Suboxone contains buprenorphine which is a synthetic opiate. This substance is designed to allow patients to stop using pain pills, heroin and other opioid without the painful and devastating effects of withdrawal. It also allows maximum advantage in early recovery to focus on abstinence, step work, therapy and so on...making later relapse less likely. The outcomes speak for themselves. Our outpatient treatment center has an average length of stay of less than nine months and recovery rates of more than 90% in one year post treatment studies. This is in comparison with only 8% success in total abstinence programs. So you can shout the fact that we are interested only in making money if you want to...but it is not true. My interest is in my recovering brothers and sisters getting well. This treatment is miraculous when combined with good counseling, family support and 12 step life especially.