Emerging from Isolation

Just For Today
May 20 Coming out of isolation

"We find ourselves doing and enjoying things that we never
thought we would be doing." Basic Text, p. 98

Active addiction kept us isolated for many reasons. In the beginning,
we avoided family and friends so they wouldn't find out we were using.
Some of us avoided all nonaddicts, fearing moral backlash and legal
repercussions. We belittled people who had "normal" lives with families
and hobbies; we called them "uncool:' believing we could never enjoy
the simple pleasures of life. Eventually, we even avoided other addicts
because we didn't want to share our drugs. Our lives narrowed, and our
concerns were confined to the daily maintenance of our disease.

Today, our lives are much fuller. We enjoy activities with other
recovering addicts. We have time for our families. And we've discovered
many other pursuits that give us pleasure. What a change from the past!
We can live life just as fully as the "normal" people we once scorned.
Enjoyment has returned to our lives, a gift of recovery.

Just for today: I can find pleasure in the simple routines of daily
living. pg. 146