Things I Learned About Acceptance from My Recovery Program for Codependency
Recovery is for people who want it, not for people who need it.
“We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.”
~Joseph Campbell
My end was the beginning. Ten years ago, I joined a recovery program for codependency. I didn’t show up to my first meeting on a winning streak, but I had begun a new life journey.
Alcohol addiction and codependency have been part of my life since birth. Living with chaos, I learned many things that have taken me years to unlearn. Today, I am grateful for my journey and the full life I lead. Acceptance is the key.
Ten years ago, I lived with alcohol addiction, but I couldn’t accept that someone I loved had a problem. I covered up the issue, overachieved to compensate, and continued the cycle of secrecy. The rules in my childhood home, though never explicitly said, were: don’t think, don’t talk, don’t feel, and don’t share. I passed these lessons on unintentionally to my children.
When I admitted my life was out of control, I became willing to get help. These are lessons about acceptance I’ve learned along the way.
