Those of us who are alcoholics and addicts know a fair bit about promises. So do our families though sadly they are probably more used to hearing promises that were never kept: ‘I will never drink again’, I promise not to do that again’, ‘I am so sorry I didn’t keep to that arrangement’. When we made the various promises we really meant to keep them but we just couldn’t. The lure of the drink or drugs was just too great and with that came unreliability, forgetfulness and bad behaviour.
In the so called Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, there is a paragraph on promises that you may hear read out at meetings if you attend. These promises are as follows:
“We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. Will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook on life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realise that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves”.
Promises
If we believe these promises, they are pretty amazing. I know several recovering addicts and alcoholics who are witness to the fact that they come true and I count myself among them. Let us look at them in a little more detail.
The freedom bit is pretty obvious – being in active addiction is like being in a prison of our own making. Our whole life revolves around our next drink or drug. Being free of the obsession and need for drink and drugs opens up tremendous opportunities for us. It gives us more time and energy.
The happiness bit also follows for most of us. At the end of our drinking and using days, life is pretty miserable. We tend to be existing, not living. Though we usually have many problems to deal with, many of them left over from our active addiction, we can usually make progress with these on a daily basis, rather than add to them.
Not Regretting Our Past
Another aspect of these promises is not regretting our past but learning from it and using it to benefit others – which also gives us a sense of purpose and self worth. Once we have stopped drinking and using, it is good to think that we can turn our bad experiences to good and somehow benefit others.
It goes without saying that without drink and drugs we do handle situations that we face in a much better way.
We made promises we could not keep when drinking or using. In recovery, exciting promises are made to us that come true. That to me is a pretty good deal!
The Haynes Clinic is an alcohol, drug and gambling rehab clinic which offers detox and counselling for people with addictions.
Call 01462 851414 for free and confidential advice.
