Hope and Connection

When I arrived in detox and treatment for the first time, hope was a distant concept that had long been abandoned. I was certain that not only would I be losing everything that I cared about, but that there was no way I could even live in this world sober – much less be happy

or content. Then revelation happened for me, not when I found a faith in a higher power or in the specifics of the program of AA, but when I became convinced that the men and women who were trying to help me had come from the very same despair I was currently in. I came to believe that there was a power and a method in their lives that was working for them, and that what they were telling me was true. I didn’t have to hear lengthy speeches on it or read it in a book or pamphlet. It was perfectly clear in their faces, their attitudes, how they interacted with others.

It was from that exact moment that my faith in a higher power began to arise. Beginning from there a working spirituality grew, a trust in the methods of the program developed, and a hope that I could live a happy and useful life blossomed. I have been through trials since getting sober, and the solution through each one has remained the same. Trust my higher power, clean my own house, and help others.

The disease of alcoholism and addiction is a disease of isolation, so in difficult times I know I must put even more effort to connect with my fellow alcoholics. With technology, the only thing that keeps me from getting in touch with someone else in recovery is my laziness. I remain vigilant in my spiritual life, asking how I can be of service, and I have friends in recovery who will not stop pushing me through the work I need to do to continue living in the promises of hope. Because of this I have hope and faith that some good will come of all this even in times I am not able to see it in the moment.