Should or shouldn’t we talk about it?

I guess it might be safe to say that most everyone has that book of things we don’t talk about with others. a place where we keep things like old pictures of us when our hairstyle and that someone we once dated might be considered questionable. It might even contain some of the most embarrassing things we have done chasing down our drug of choice, which by the way is what I would like to talk about today.

As I found out, talking about such things seems to be a pretty sensitive subject. Some people say it's not good for recovery and that you should not only keep the things you have done chasing your drug of choice hidden in the book of secrets, but you should hide the book as well. I thought the same thing until about a year into my recovery when I finally decided I could no longer allow my past to control those consistent sunrises my brother told me about during my unconventional rehab.

When you think about it doesn’t the first step of twelve say that we must admit we were powerless over our drug of choice and that our lives had become unmanageable while using? So why wouldn’t you talk about it? Well if you are anything like me it’s probably the SHAME of making a drug of choice your top priority over everything else in your life including loved ones. It could even be those embarrassing things we may or may not have done to get our next fix in order to keep from getting dope sick. Either way, it's time to stop hiding the person we were and instead celebrate the person we are today. Remember not all hero’s wear capes but I would bet most of them have that book of secrets I started this conversation with.