Been a while since we had a Matt Kay blog from my old website Wired In To Recovery. So here goes:
‘Is this concept as far fetched as some of you may be thinking? How on earth can I ‘thank’ my addiction and how does it deserve a ‘thank you’. Bear with me here for a minute and let that thought mull around in your head while I tell you why I am asking it.
I asked this question a while back to some fellow recoverees with what could only be described as ‘mixed reactions’ and no-one seemed to grasp what I was aiming at. As we all know, anyone who has lived through active addiction will know that there isn’t anything positive that it brings.
Sure we all had (or have) ‘quick fixes’ but the long-term problems far outweigh the short term benefits. If you don’t believe me, get a piece of paper and write them all down – the pros vs cons – and get back to me!
But here’s the deal. If (or when) you end active addiction you begin to live your life in a far more orderly fashion, more rigid structures are put in place and you become more determined as a person.
You are dedicated to carrying on something you have started (the only thing that most ‘addicts’ have completed is a prison sentence), you can deal with situations in better, more rational manner, you are more patient, a better listener, empathic, sympathetic, honest and hard working.
Your health improves, you are trustworthy, maybe better with money, more organised, you have more natural energy. You are more able to interact with peers, your self-confidence/self-esteem/self belief and self-worth improves, you are more intimate with others feelings, your overall behaviour improves… need I go on?
You see, reading the title, most of you would have thought “No Way!” but the more you delve into the person you have become (or the person that you hope to become if abstinence is a new concept to you) then take a minute to sit back and believe that it’s not as mindblowing as you may have first thought.
We would all honestly hope to have lived through life living with the characteristics I listed above, but recovering from active addiction has made you finally able to be that person.
It’s not easy, but it’s worth it if you are honest.
So take a moment out of your lives and say thanks to your addiction. It’s (rightly or wrongly) made (or is making) you a better person.
Plus, without an addiction to recover from, how else are you going to get two birthdays a year!
As always, “Make a decision to have a great day, misery is always an option”.’
