Narcotics Anonymous

Just For Today - Daily Email Service

   December 6                                            Romance and recovery

              "Relationships can be a terribly painful area."

                                                            Basic Text, p. 82

                           ----=----

   Love is like an elixir for some of us.  The excitement of a new lover, the
   intrigue of exploring intimacy, the sense of release we get from allowing
   ourselves to become vulnerable-these are all powerful emotions.  But we
   can't forget that we have only a daily reprieve from our addiction.
   Holding onto this daily reprieve must be the top priority in any
   recovering addict's life.

   We can become too involved in our relationship.   We can neglect old
   friends and our sponsor in the process. Then, when things get difficult,
   we often feel that we can no longer reach out to those who helped us prior
   to our romantic involvement.  This belief can lay the groundwork for a
   relapse.  By consistently working our program and attending meetings, we
   ensure that we have a network of recovery, even when we're deep in a
   romance.

   Our desire to be romantically involved is natural.   But we mustn't
   forget that, without our program, even the healthiest relationship will
   not guard us against the strength of our addiction.

                           ----=----

   Just for today:  In my desire for romance, I will not ignore my recovery.