I've never read the "Operating Manual for the Human Being." But if such a book existed, I don't think there'd be a chapter entitled "We're Always Going to Feel Good."
Yet many addicts and alcoholics I know – especially among our clients – act as if they must feel good all the time. And if they don't, they're going to need a pill or drug or drink to get there.
Now, mind you, I'm one who likes to feel good myself. But I'm also realistic enough to know that life has its ups and down.
Often it seems that some in new recovery take their emotional temperature every few minutes. And if it's not exactly in the right spot, they have an issue. They might request a visit to the doctor, rather than waiting it out. Or maybe even take a trip to the psychiatric hospital.
The solution is to realize that - in spite of our best efforts - things aren't going to be always the way we want. And that's when it comes to acceptance.
In the 12-step literature it says that "acceptance is the answer to all my problems today." That phrase works for any of us who apply it.
And while it might seem counter-intuitive, there's power in accepting things exactly as they are. And that especially applies when we're dealing with our feelings.
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