“These men were not drinking to escape; they were drinking to overcome a craving beyond their mental control. There are many situations which arise out of the phenomenon of craving which cause men to make the supreme sacrifice rather than continue to fight.” – pg xxx of the Doctors Opinion from the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous.
While it is nothing compared to what we endured while we were drinking and using we can still experience struggles after seeking alcohol addiction help and getting sober. Some of these are life struggles but many times in the beginning of our recovery our main struggle is staying sober. It might seem impossible to stay sober but through taking contrary action like reading drug rehab blogs or looking into rehab programs in California we find we do not have to go through it alone. We are not here to suffer. It is often said in AA meetings that pain is inevitable but suffering is optional. This is so true. As alcoholics we have a tendency to turn struggles into suffering especially when we aren’t given the tools. We have an inability to cope with life on life’s terms and things don’t look the way we want them too. We have a hard time with reality, and staying in the moment. We are constantly either seeking elevated moods or wallowing in morbid reflection. Alcoholics are either desperately trying to kill themselves or desperately trying to survive. Not just physically but mentally also. Through the recovery process we become right sized. Our problems become right sized. We learn to be happy with what we have and ok or even grateful for what we don’t have.