Are You Too Busy For Recovery ?

Recently I happen to meet a couple of recovery friends who I either have not seen them at the recovery support group (rsg) meeting for a long while or hvae left the rsg, for various reasons that only known to themselves. However, interestingly, when I invited them to come back to rsg meeting, they all decline, stating various reasons ....

Here are some of the answers..

• "Bro, I have move on liao .... There are more important things in life you know ... "

• "Bro, I have debts to pay, family to feed, so I have work extra hard to find money. Where got time to attend rsg."

• "Bro, I just got a job. I am working shift. Can't attend the rsg. Need to focus on my job"

• "Bro, I am not thinking about gambling anymore. I won't go back to destructive gambling"

• "Bro, family more important lah. I have little ones at home."

• "Bro, I am very tired after each day work."

• "Bro, I have a relapse. I am not ready to return to the group.""

• "Bro, no point lah. I have gone back my old ways liao. Rsg can't help me"

Surely some of them are very valid reasons too. It does happens gradually.

In recovery, We get jobs. We reunite with our families. We’re raising children, or we’re going to school at night. The house needs to be cleaned. The debts need to be paid. We have to work late. We’re tired. We placed small bets. We had a slip/relapse .....

It happened to me in recovery too. At times I do slip away from my own recovery plans. And all of a sudden, I notice that I haven’t called my counselor, skipping my appointment with my doctor, cancel going to a meeting, didn't spoken to a newcomer, or even talked to God in quite a while.

What do I do at this point? I know I have to renew my commitment to my recovery, or if not, something would definitely happen and my life become unmanageable yet again.

It's my choice. It's your choice too. But note, it's really - Quite a choice too ! I need to put more effort in maintaining the foundation of my recovery on which my new life is built. That foundation makes everything else in my life possible, and it will surely crumble if I am too busy with everything else, or I started to stay away because I have placed a bet, slip or relapse. I must get back on to the right path of recovery again.

I can’t afford to be too busy to recover. I can't afford to be too shameful or too shy to return to the group if I have place a bet. I will do something today that sustains my own recovery.

Thank God that I am still in recovery today.