Chat Meeting Topic:

Honesty

I heard a story in the rooms about a man who grabbed hold of this program with all his might like a drowning man would grab a life preserver. But he was having a problem with one part of his recovery.

So he asked his sponsor about it, "I'm having a hard time getting the honesty part of the program. I have spent most of my life covering up, keeping secrets. I have read all the literature, gone to meeting after meeting, but I just can't get it. Is there anything else I can do? Is there a brochure or a book that will help? I just can't get it, is there anything that you can tell me to help?"

His sponsor said, "Sure... stop lying!"

I am so thankful to Al-Anon for giving me a place where I can be honest. When I came into the rooms, it was the first time in my life that I felt that I finally had a place where it was safe to open up. It was like a huge burden lifting, to finally be able to share my feelings and to do so with others that I knew understood completely.

For the first time in my life, suddenly I was not alone anymore. It was also the first time that the light went on and I realized all the lying that I had done to "help" the alcoholic had really only enabled the progression of the disease to continue. I felt so good to finally be free to be honest and not feel guilty about it!

BuddyT

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