We have heard it said that "we are only as sick as our secrets." What are we keeping secret and why?
We keep secrets that cause us shame. We may keep them hidden just because we don't want to give them away. On the other hand, if they do cause us shame, wouldn't we feel better about ourselves if we got rid of them?
Some of us hold on to things that cause us shame for another reason. It's not that we don't want to get rid of them, we just don't think we can do it. They have haunted us for so long and we have tried so many times to get rid of them, that we have lost all hope of ever finding relief. Yet they continue to embarrass us and we continue to keep them a secret.
We need to remember who we are: recovering addicts. We who for so long tried to keep our use secret have found freedom from the obsession and compulsion to use. Although many of us found some pleasure in using until the end, we all at some point sought recovery. We just couldn't stand the price we were paying in drinking. When we admitted our weakness and asked others for help, we were freed from the burden of this secret.
Exactly the same applies to all those secrets that weigh us down. Indeed, we are as sick as our secrets. Only when secrets cease to be secrets can we find relief from all that brings us shame.
