Seeing Beyond Your Own Suffering

So I was pretty tipsy one day, much like every other day of my adult life, when I finally couldn’t take the depression anymore. To be honest, I have been at that same “rock bottom” many times. Usually when I get there, I dump out all of my booze, cut up debit and credit cards, and start listening to self-help type stuff. Ever so briefly, I feel like I’ve got it under control, that is, until I wake up the next morning and realized that I’m still going to drink and I’ve caused myself a lot of headache and expense the previous day. On this given day though, I took a different path. I sent a text message to one of my oldest friends. Within minutes, he called me. I was a little surprised since it was during normal work hours. I just happened to have vacation time to burn, so what better thing to do than day drink alone, right? I can’t tell you how happy I was that he called though, it was so nice to hear a friends’ voice. What really hit me though, is when he told me that he was having the same struggles. That was the first time I really truly realized that other people are fighting the same battle as me. It was then that I committed to go to an AA meeting that night. I realized that I couldn’t see beyond my own pain and pity and had spent all of those years alone in my struggle; that day pulled back the veil. We’re not alone. We’re not worthless. We’re not powerless. There is strength in numbers and we’ll get through this together.

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Love this post, thanks for sharing! Love when divine timing happens and I’m glad you feel the shift. :heart:

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I love this post. For me, one of the biggest gifts of AA (and this forum) is seeing that I am not alone in the disease and I don’t have to try to get better in isolation.

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Absofuckinglutely. Why do it alone when there are so many in the same shoes, who know and understand the plight we are facing. Great post bud, welcome to the fold.

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We are very selfish people drinking, just goes to show that when we reach out there will be help, such a lovely share, thank you

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Love this post!! There is nothing like that realization that others are suffering as well. It opens our wellspring of we empathy and understanding…and our love for the other. So often we think we are the only screwed up person around…so many people look like they have it made…but the true reality is that most everyone suffers their own losses, their own pain, with their own demons. When we connect…through discussion, group therapy, AA, a phone call, however we connect …we find our shared humanity …our collective unconscious…and that is truly one of life’s best gifts…knowing we are all connected and never truly alone with our troubles or our triumphs. Bravo!

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Thank you so much for this inspirational post!! :sparkling_heart:

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I love this!!!

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Thanks for sharing! Great post

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