THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 10/06/09

WHEN DRUGS AND ALCOHOL ARE YOUR PRIORITY THERE ISN'T ROOM FOR ANYTHING ELSE


It's never nice to think about but when you are an addict your top priority, and sometimes your only priority, is drugs. Finding them, affording them, doing them, feeling their effects, coming down off them...finding them again.

Once you are no longer in active addiction you're able to take a clear look at what the important things are in your life. A clear head and a better understanding of yourself will drastically change what you consider as your top priorities in life.
My suggestion is to rebuild what your priorities are in your recovery and...keep it simple.

There was a time when how my life appeared to others was something that I put a lot of stock in. Sure, I might have told you that I didn't care but in reality it kept me from being real with a lot of people. Which cut down on the amount of real human connections I allowed myself which in the end was a form of isolation. We all know where that lead right?

There was a time in my life when my "social life" was a huge priority of mine. I wanted to be able to go out on Fridays and Saturdays and drink tons of beers and stay out until the wee hours of the morning with all of my "friends" no matter how miserable I would feel the next day when I had to get up to take care of my very small child. Needless to say this behavior led to a lot of wasted Sundays.

My priorities didn't change right away when I entered into addiction recovery. Sure, I no longer had getting effed up as my number one priority and that was like a miracle to me. But as for putting my basic needs in life as my top priorities...that took a little time.

• Recovery
  
• My husband, my child, and the rest of my family
  
• My spirituality
  
• My health
  
• Making my house into a clean, loving home
  
• Creating peace of mind for myself
  

Jesus, when did life get so simple huh? Obviously there are other things that need to be tended to in life but I have vowed to keep these six priorities always at the top of my list. I owe my family and myself that much.

Taken from "What Winners Do"