Why is acceptance such an important concept in recovery?
We talk about it in the rooms of recovery with reverence. The word has an almost religious overtone. But is it really that important?
And I would argue that it is for those of us who have trouble living in reality. And that covers most of us alcoholics and addicts.
When we're in a substance induced fantasy the solution can be pretty much whatever we want it to be.
Because the truth is that those who don't accept their addiction aren't going to be able to deal with it. It's kind of like if we don't even know what the problem is how can we resolve it?
I visited an attorney once and saw that he carefully defined his client's problem. He learned in law school that if he wasn't sure what the issue was how was he to deal with it?
With our addiction, it's important to get into acceptance. If we're not sure we're an addict or alcoholic we'll experiment and do what we must until we discover the truth. And a life spiraling out of control can help us accept that we have a problem. And in a short time.
That's why acceptance is a power word in the recovery world. It's the starting point.
