We cannot bargain with Recovery. “Recovery if you make our mental health condition go away we know our program is working.” If our addiction goes away we will begin attending support groups. Somehow we think we will deepen engagement in Recovery by negotiating a deal.
Recovery grants healing in the way we need it most. This is kind of like children who only want cake and ice cream. We know we need more nutritional value but fail to recognize the need for broccoli in our lives. To bear fruit we cannot bargain with Recovery.
When our mental health condition and addiction requests are answered the way we want we tell Recovery, “You have shown me what you can do for me”. ‘No’, Recovery wants us to work the steps regardless of the outcome. Recovery wants us, not the lottery. We cannot bargain with Recovery, it is the ultimate parent for us. When we attempt to hide from Recovery it will find us. When we seek Recovery we will be abundantly blessed.
What will you do today to engage with your Recovery?
Due to the 4th of July holiday, the next blog post will be on July 8, 2024. There will not be a Peer Support Group on July 4, 2024. Our next group will be July 11, 2024. It is a blessing to live in a country that values the freedom of speech and many other freedoms.
12 Steps to Health
Hope ≈ Healing ≈ Health
- We dedicate ourselves to a lifestyle of Recovery; our lives have purpose and meaning.
- We believe a Power greater than ourselves is the path to hope, healing, and health.
- We choose to contemplate daily, how faith in our Higher Power and Recovery Community can bring us peace.
- We choose to educate ourselves and find the courage to strive for the highest level of health and well-being.
- We communicate our Plan of Recovery with our Higher Power, with ourselves, and with another human being.
- We allow our Higher Power to be the lighthouse in our lives.
- We humbly ask our Higher Power to reveal his unconditional love and ongoing presence within us.
- We acknowledge our behaviors have impacted our relationships. We list those affected by our behavior and whenever possible become willing to reconcile or thank them for their support during a relapse or mental health crisis.
- We seek mutual reconciliation for a harmful action we committed and seek forgiveness from those we harmed or were impacted by our behavior. Then, let go of our shame because it no longer serves a purpose in our lives, we understand we were designed because we are loved and to be in relationships with other people.
- We continually review our Plan of Recovery with our Higher Power, support team, and those we trust.
- We come to recognize our shortcomings during recovery, while discovering our Higher Power is the source of our strength and mercy, we learn to rely on our Higher Power for the courage to heal through prayer, reflection, mindfulness, and when necessary seek professional support.
- We gain insight into our recovery through our Higher Power as we model these steps, and share our journey toward hope, healing, and health with people.
Adapted From 12 Steps of Alcoholic/Depressed Anonymous by Larry Winter and Collene Spaeth
Revised: 6/5/20
SuperHuman Being
Peace
Larry
email: ljw@superhumanbeing.net
website: https://superhumanbeing.net/