Any type of false dependency takes away from the freedom of not being bound to anything. If I have bondage to anything then I am a slave to that. In getting down to "causes and conditions" the journey for me is about learning about how I got here. Faulty thinking, coping and reacting to the world were at the root. I came into recovery with a severe mood disorder brought about by dependency. Even the AA "Big Book" talks about "instincts far exceeding their intended purpose." I love the phrase on our anniversary coins which reads "To Thine Own Self Be True." I was the problem and I am the solution. 12 step recovery challenged me and my beliefs sometimes in gentle and sometimes in not so gentle ways. Another relevant passage in our material talks about how some of us grew up with no love and some with too much love. The quality, serenity and contentment of my life is totally different than when I crawled into the halls many years ago. I identify with the person I heard at a meeting years ago that identified himself as a "slowly recovering alcoholic." Enjoying the journey, one day at a time.....
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