Absolutely! It’s yours 
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Keep reaching out and keep connecting with people @anon59754122. The big lie of addiction is we are alone. That is the addict voice creating perfect conditions for addiction (conditions of being alone).
Kick that asshole to the curb. That voice doesn’t control you. Defy it and resist, fight, and keep checking in, keep sharing, find people you trust and open up to them about how you’re feeling. You need this, to become the person you want to be.
You belong and you matter. You deserve a safe, sober life where you can be your full self.
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I remember this often. The blood that runs through my veins comes through a long line of strong women. 
And when my daughter needs to hear it, I remind her that she carries me with her always…and all those before me.
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Thanks! I’m glad I can help
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Same! I was reflecting on the strong women I’m descended from and one of the things that struck me is that none of them, whether on my Mexican side or my American side, made it seem like a burden. Even though many of them had beyond difficult lives and not always support from their partners. When I feel weak I think of them and it gives me strength because I hold them close to me.
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Welcom back @anon59754122 take it one day at a time.
I personally identify as agnostic. I was raised methodist christian and remember being so proud i told a pastor i was reading the bible front to back. He told the 10yo self thats not what youre supposed to do…and that was it. The hypocrisy of the church and this err of superiority just soured me to organized religion. I believe in energy, can not be created nor destroyed. I pray…i dont know to who but its more like the power of positive thinking for me and just covering my bases i guess. I enjoy reading about different religions but so many wars were perpetrated by people who were “religious”. Lets all just be the best versions of ourselves and spread love and not hate or judgment
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Glad you made it back in one piece and hope you get feeling better soon, its good to take a break every once in a while to get in a clear headspace. We can all understand the feelings of wanting to get away, reach out and voice your frustrations or victories, you have plenty of support and people here that only want the best for you. Take it easy and be gentle on yourself.
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Yay! Welcome back. I’m sorry to hear you’re struggling. This too shall pass.
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Hey!! Welcome back. I personally missed you on here. You are a valued member. I’m sorry it was rough for a while. You are here now, let us know what you need. 
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Welcome back @anon59754122 we fucking love you!!! YAY YAY YAY!!! 
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Sending you a big good hug 
I felt that way so much all the previous monthes. And when I still feel that way, like you said, I come here. (And yeah @Matt is crazy good to put incredible words and thoughts in form, and so sweet and nice, nailing it again!)
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Exactly what @Astro said, I stand with him. Well said man !
As for the aliens question, same also. I’m fascinated by this matter, and exobiology in the broad sense.
I don’t see them as gods more than I would like a worm or a shrimp to consider me as a god when they come to cross my path on earth.
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You’re here. You’re not alone. Glad you’re here friend. We’re in this together. Big hugs.
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I call myself humanist. I believe we’re in this together. I don’t believe there’s any deity. We’re here on this beautiful planet, we’re alive, we have to make the best of our lives and try to live in unity and harmony with all. Humans, other living beings, the planet as a whole.
On a cosmic scale we’re utterly insignificant. I think the idea there’d be a deity that’s concerned with us in particular is preposterous. Yet I’m interested in the idea of (a) god. How the idea came to be, how the idea about gods came into existence, how it developed and grew and how organized religions came into being.
For me it’s clear it’s all a human construct, a concept thought up by humans. It’s interesting and intriguing for me why that is so and how that came to be. Why humans obviously feel the need for such a thing. Why the vast majority of people adhere to some sort of religion. There must be some deep ingrained need in our psyche for that.
The most basic and oldest known form of religion (seen from my western perspective at least), the worship of mother Earth, is something I can totally grasp and feel and relate to. If there would be one higher power I could belief in it would be mother Earth.
I do feel that since modern society evolved from the hunters and gatherers we were before, we lost contact with that. And as society got more complicated that sense of connection to our planet got more and more lost. While at the the same time power structures came into being, power structures that used religion to bring order and at the same time legitimize themselves, by the notion of it being normal that there are higher powers ruling us and it’s natural to submit to those higher powers.
BTW, I am aware that these ideas aren’t originally mine. They’re mainly Marxist in origin, the religion without god where I was born into. Another believe system I rejected for its dogmatism. We as humanity need to be open to each other and to each other’s ideas and thoughts. We need to know that we’re in this together. We’ll survive together or we’ll go down together.
And aliens: I’m pretty sure they exist. I’m also pretty sure I will not meet them in my lifetime. But who knows. I don’t think gods are aliens. The human psyche doesn’t need aliens to come up with human religions.
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Welcome home
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@Chiron in response to your question: I don’t believe there is any intelligent design or higher power that is guiding what happens in the universe. I lean toward @Astro Colin’s views and @Mno Menno’s also. I appreciate science and scientific endeavors, with the understanding that through this “discovery” we continue to learn and change based on advancements in our tools and also through the creativity of the human mind to see how things work. It’s an ever evolving process where we gain knowledge and awareness little by little.
I also would say that I have a spiritual bent and appreciate that we are all connected by being part of something larger than ourselves. My perspective on that can be pretty wildly differing based on the context, it can mean part of a family, a community, a country, the planet, the solar system, the universe, and beyond. I think this is selfish for me because it serves to get me outside of my own head and ego, but it also is just part of how I have always felt. We are nothing without the impact and influence of those around us. I was just reading about the “overview effect,” where astronauts who had the opportunity to see our planet from space were filled with not just a sense of how small and vulnerable we are on this fragile planet but more importantly how the boundaries we put up between us, whether it be countries or races or whatever, are eliminated from their perspective when you see how were are all in it together on this planet. Many astronauts who have gone into space have come back after retirement to create organizations seeking to better the world and help people see beyond the typical human conflicts. I don’t need to go to space to have been influenced by this overview effect.
One other aspect of my thoughts about god and religion is very similar to what Menno described as being fascinated by folklore, belief systems, and how humans have created stories to explain the unexplainable over our history on this planet. In particular, I find it fascinating to learn about people across the world with similar themes running through their stories/religion/beliefs, without having any contact in their development. Super interesting! Pyramids and other sculptures like the Olmec colossal heads and other huge head sculptures across the world, etc., is one example, but I also love learning about the Aztec gods and mythologies, other Native American stories, the norse gods, and on and on. I also enjoy learning about Astrology and I love love love ghost stories. There is a lot of belief in my family related to spirits and connection to spirits - I believe I honor my Mexican family and culture by taking an interest, having a curiosity to hear and learn, suspend my disbelief and trust that people believe what they believe based on their own experiences. I had a woman I worked with tell me that my grandmother was in the room with us one time, she described her so well, and told me she had a message for me. I took some comfort in that, because it helped me to remember my abuelita and feel close to her. For me, it was simply being reconnected to her memory and the love in my heart for her.
Hope this is a good snapshot of my perspective. I could probably ramble on quite a bit more.
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It’s a great read!
And, thanks. I had fun writing it, really thinking about what I think. Still wondering about it now…
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It’s another gem that I read about in that book I suggested!
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The section of the book is called Transcendence. Here is the post about the book.
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