R.I.P.

A client living at our Apache Junction house was found dead by the side of the road a few days ago – an apparent victim of our disease. When police asked our manager to identify his body he was told the blood alcohol level was over 4.0. The man, in his mid-twenties, had been in the program for only a few weeks before he disappeared.

Even though we focus on our many success stories, the sad reality is that many of us in recovery fulfill the forecast from the literature: “jails, institutions, or death.”  The tragedy is that this man could have joined those of us who’ve enjoyed years of recovery had he followed the guidelines of the 12-steps. His passing illustrates the “cunning, baffling, and powerful” aspect of our disease.  He woke up sober, yet didn’t live through the night.

Perhaps the only benefit we can derive from this man’s death is to see the reality that faces those of us in recovery if we don’t use the tools we been given in the rooms.

May he rest in peace – and may the rest of us be reminded of what we face.