Our life in use was full of pain and misery. We weren't willing to accept the situation we were in, nor do anything to change what we couldn't stand. We tried to escape the pain of life by using drugs, but the use made our problems worse. The already distorted image we had of reality turned into a nightmare.
When we live the Narcotics Anonymous program we learn that we can dream instead of living the same nightmare. We mature and change as humans. We gain freedom of choice. We become capable of giving and receiving love. We can share honestly about ourselves without having to exaggerate or understate things anymore. We accept the challenges that real life brings us and face them with maturity and responsibility.
Although recovery does not exempt us from what life brings, in the brotherhood of NA we find the support, true caring and nurturing we need to cope with reality. We no longer need to take drugs to escape reality, because being with other drug addicts in recovery gives us strength. Today the support, care and compassion we find in recovery enable us to see clearly, experience and appreciate reality as it is.
