Narcotics Anonymous

Just For Today - Daily Email Service

   April 1                                                 Love and addiction

   "Some of us first saw the effects of addiction on the people closest to
     us.  We were very dependent on them to carry us through life.  We felt
    angry, disappointed, and hurt when they found other interests, friends,
                               and loved ones."

                                                             Basic Text, p. 7

                           ----=----

   Addiction affected every area of our lives.  Just as we sought the drug
   that would make everything alright, so we sought people to fix us.   We
   made impossible demands, driving away those who had anything of worth to
   offer us.  Often, the only people left were those who were themselves too
   needy to be capable of denying our unrealistic expectations.  It's no
   wonder that we were unable to establish and maintain healthy intimate
   relationships in our addiction.

   Today, in recovery, we've stopped expecting drugs to fix us.   If we
   still expect people to fix us, perhaps it's time to extend our recovery
   program to our relationships.    We begin by admitting we have  a
   problem-that we don't know the first thing about how to have healthy
   intimate relationships.  We seek out members who've had similar problems
   and have found relief.   We talk with them and listen to what they share
   about this aspect of their recovery.   We apply the program to all our
   affairs, seeking the same kind of freedom in our relationships that we
   find throughout our recovery.

                           ----=----

   Just for today:  Loving relationships are within my reach.  Today, I  will
   examine the effects of addiction on my relationships so that I can begin
   seeking recovery.