Recovery creates insight

A young woman at a meeting said something that is often heard from newly recovering people: “Recovery created more problems than I had before.” The more likely reality, of course, for her and for all of us when we’re just starting out, is not that there are so many new problems, but that we are now able to see old problems that we never before saw.

Recovery creates insight—and with insight comes heightened awareness of the need for decisions. Those decisions can hurt.

They can call from us the very strengths and skills we have the least of and fear the most.

Before recovery, we didn’t have to make decisions because we didn’t face our problems. After recovery begins, sure, there will be some painful decisions—but all the pain is growing pain.

I can look for ways to deal with my problems, rather than ways to avoid them.