Overcoming addiction and alcoholism puts us in a unique place. We are able to understand the true nature of addiction and alcoholism in ways that most people never will. The insight we gain about addiction and how to successfully recover is one of the major gifts of sobriety. It is a gift that allows us to help others who are struggling with addiction in ways that most people cannot. Kahlil Gibran, in his famed 1923 book The Prophet, wrote, “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” Our recovery is about divorcing ourselves from selfishness and self-seeking motives. To that end, we give to others something truly meaningful: our experience, strength, and hope. We use our experiences, struggles, and understanding to carry the message of recovery to those who are still struggling and want to achieve sobriety. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous explains, “Carry this message to other alcoholics! You can help when no one else can. You can secure their confidence when others fail.” This sentiment is by no means limited only to Alcoholics Anonymous. A vast majority of recovery programs recognize that staying involved and helping others achieve sobriety is one of the most effective ways to maintain happiness, joyousness, and freedom in one’s own sobriety. Addiction is a complex disease that affects a person at every level of their being. Many men and women struggling with the disease feel that nobody understands what they are going through. That is the beauty of the recovery community. People who have overcome addiction understand what the newcomer is going through in ways that others will not. There exists a mutual trust between those in early recovery and those who have significant time sober because they share a common experience. They understand the feeling of powerlessness, unmanageability, and spiritual emptiness that affects those struggling with addiction and alcoholism, and they are more than willing to give help and support in any way that they can. We will rely on those with experience in recovery as we attempt to achieve sobriety, and when we have experience, we will share it with those who are where we once were.
Your story can become one of happiness, joyousness, and freedom in sobriety. You can make the courageous decision to seek help now and begin building a brighter future. Oceanfront Recovery, a men’s treatment center in the heart of beautiful Laguna Beach, is staffed with caring and compassionate professionals dedicated to addressing the individual needs of each client. For information about individualized treatment options, please call today: (877) 279-1777
