Many people get clean and sober of drugs and alcohol and remain miserable. A lot of such people don’t end up staying clean for very long, and due to the continuously bad state of their lives, they turn back to the drugs and alcohol, as the only real relief that they have every known, to take away the pain. Having a miserable life is a common problem amongst people who struggle with alcoholism and addiction. How could it not be? The very first step of AA is that “We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable.” An unmanageable life is the perfect breeding ground for misery, and people who suffer from drug addiction and alcoholism are quite familiar with this misery. Even in sobriety, people sometimes have the experience of being clean, but not free from the misery. How do we tackle such a problem?
There is a specific way of life to live if one is to be free from the misery of drug addiction and alcoholism. It is common knowledge that, to an addict or alcoholic, the substance of choice was not the problem, but rather the solution to a miserable life. Through drugs and alcohol, you can block out all the tumultuous emotions that come with living a life of misery. Once the drugs and alcohol are removed, the miserable life remains, and there is nothing to block out the experience of it. People trying to get sober without a program, referred to as “dry”, often have this experience. The solution is to work and maintain a program of recovery. But what does that look like? A new way of life is spelled out in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, written for people that have miserable lives and use drugs and alcohol as a way to medicate themselves. Quite simply, a spiritual program of action is the answer, and is preferable to a miserable life with, or without, drugs and alcohol. Following the 12 Steps and living in service to others provides the kind of freedom that has been so elusive for people struggling with substance addiction. For so long drug addicts and alcoholics have lived a life of self service, with little thought of others. To be free, truly free, you have to be rid of this selfishness. It can be hard, as humans are inherently selfish beings, but with real, honest work, and a dedication to the 12 Steps, you will find that you not only will live free of the misery, but also the desire to use drugs and alcohol. It is the ultimate solution that has worked for millions of people throughout the last century, and it can work for you as well.
Living of service to others is a highly rewarding experience, and you will find that, in building and maintaining a program of recovery in line with the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, it is easy to live completely and utterly free.