Gifts of Recovery

Recovery enables us to live more fully, with more energy and enthusiasm about what we do. It allows us to give all we have, rather than let an eating disorder or other addiction zap us of strength. Besides this gift of life for ourselves, recovery also gives us the opportunity to be there for others. Whether they are bereft at losing a loved one, in pain because of a difficult past, struggling with a new job, desperately in love with the wrong person (or maybe it’s the right person, only that person doesn’t know it?), having difficulties with their children or marriage, or whatever else. There are plenty of trying situations in life. Whatever the situation, I am grateful that I can be there to offer comfort, suggestions, a hug, shared tears, or just listen.

Recovery allows us to feel. Whether I was using food, alcohol or drugs, none of them totally managed to numb out the feelings, but they did succeed in making them foggy und unclear. Today, regardless of what those feelings are, whether they are about me or someone else, I can really feel them: joy, sadness, grief, excitement, anticipation, frustration, confusion, anger, etc. I have sympathy, empathy, compassion and love for those in my life, and for those I’ve only heard about.

Through trudging that long path of recovery, I was given the gift of life. I was given a second chance. They say recovery is about being selfish, about learning to put the focus on your self. The remarkable thing is, once this happened, I was much better able to focus on others as well. When I was younger, I was ashamed and didn’t want to appear conceited or overly confident. Unfortunately, I only saw the extremes: total self-involvement vs. total altruism. Today I have attained that happy medium, which includes caring for self and others. Like that old saying goes: You can’t love others until you love yourself!