4 Comments
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Dr. Larry Smith's avatar

This beautifully captures what I've come to believe through both personal recovery and years of working with people affected by addiction. Keeping someone alive matters. It is compassionate and necessary. But recovery is about far more than survival. It is about rebuilding identity, purpose, responsibility, and hope. As I've often said, recovery is not simply the absence of craving; it is the presence of purpose. Thank you for articulating so clearly what many of us have experienced firsthand.

Annemarie Ward's avatar

And again, Thank you.

Grey Merrin's avatar

Another great post on an early morning read before work and importantly before an important landmark in my what aided my recovery . Becoming someone new and everyone starts with a story. Youve got every question absolutely spot on 🙏

Annemarie Ward's avatar

Time has been a generous teacher. My own years in recovery have taught me much, but they are only part of the story. I've also had the privilege of learning from thousands of others. When you spend decades listening to people's stories, you accumulate not just your own wisdom but many hundreds of years of collective recovery experience. That's why I'm always interested in hearing thoughtful perspectives like yours, I'm still learning too.