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A better 12 steps

The first Step of AA is “We admitted we were powerless over our addiction – that our lives had become unmanageable“.


Let me translate this: we admitted we had NO IDEA WHY we drank/abused drugs/sex/gambling/work the way we did, but that it wasn’t working, and continuing in the same fashion was going to either kill us physically, or destroy everything and everyone we cared about.


In other words, the determination was made from necessity to proceed from ignorance and make the best of it.


I think that we are now positioned to do better–AA has only a 5% long term success rate, which is still 1 in 20 rescued from self immolation–particularly with the understandings that have developed around developmental trauma, and the treatments that have come about, and are even now still in their infancy.


For my part, I vow to do what I can to help develop those therapies.  I have many projects.  This is an important one, which gets close to the core of the human condition.  Addicts are our canaries in the coal mine.  They see and feel more than most.  They can and should speak to all of us.  Most don’t listen.  I do.  I hear and see many things others seem not to.  This is who I am, and it’s not going to change.  I value it, despite some obvious disadvantages.


I have missions worth the doing, tasks worth the undertaking.  One can ask for no more from this world.  I am blessed.