People who have an addiction are often described as “childish, emotionally sensitive, and grandiose”. While this can feel like an attack of harsh words, often this can describe us to a tee. Our emotional growth has been said to be stunted from the first consumption of alcohol which for many of us was in our adolescence. The age that we started drinking is the age we are said to be when we start over in recovery. If we drank when we were thirteen, then in sobriety we will be immature in our thinking and actions like a thirteen-year-old which could come out in our shares.

When we attend 12-Step meetings, we may have no idea what we would share in a meeting. There are times that many people in meetings carry the mess instead of the message. They can either get caught up in themselves to impress others with their over-the-top drunkalogs or drugalogs, become angry or overly sensitive in their shares, or they could simply be trying to make others laugh. A person should share whatever they need to keep them sober, but at the same time try their hardest to carry the message.

The point of having a meeting is to have a place where newcomers and members can be reminded why we stay sober and learn what works for each person. Depending on the meeting or the topic, if we are crude or overly use profanity, the message of recovery can get blurred, so here are some of the best ways we can carry the message rather than the mess.

Be relatable

People want to hear how members qualify. The information that we share of what it was like is an important piece of the puzzle in recovery. If we only share about how great life is now, then we are presenting a hopeless case to someone who may still be in the mess. Our past is not only an asset to help keep us sober, but also an asset to let what we have been through be relevant enough for them to relate.

Be in solution

If we spend our entire time that we have to share talking about what it is like, then we cannot get to the solution of what it is like now. We have a great opportunity to let others know that life is not a pink cloud while being in the solution. There is still work to be done to fulfill our destiny of being of sober that we can accomplish together.

Just because we got sober does not mean that life will suddenly become perfect. Being in the solution simply means that we have better way to deal with life that involves recovery tools that help us to put down the drink and the drugs for a better life in sobriety.  

The Kimberly Center offers a variety of recovery programs to cover your every need during our extensive treatment for drugs and alcohol. We offer a unique recovery experience while providing a safe place to practice the principles of recovery that you will need in the real world.

Call us today to get started: 855-4-KCENTER (855-452-3683)