“I’m not crazy, I was abused.
I’m not shy, I’m protecting myself.
I’m not bitter, I’m speaking the truth.
I’m not hanging onto the past, I’ve been damaged. I’m not delusional, I lived a nightmare.
I’m not weak, I was trusting.
I’m not giving up, I’m healing.
I’m not incapable of love, I’m giving.
I’m not alone. I see you all here.
I’m fighting this.”   Rene Smith

From What…Me Sober?–“Own It!”:

“My addiction is physical, involving changes in my brain. The jury’s still out on whether or not any of them were permanent, but they can surely happen again. It’s social, affecting the way I relate to the world in general: to employers, people on the street, relatives, old friends, even strangers. And my addiction is spiritual, in the sense of the human spirit. It affects my ability to function in areas of patience, understanding, tolerance, compassion, forgiveness, connection, love, and joy–the ways in which I need to relate to other people, instead of the superficial level [what can I get out of this] where my relationships took place for all those years.”

“In order for me to put my addictive life behind me, I have to accept my addiction for what it is: part of me, residing in my head, affecting my entire being. It is more than chemical changes, it is more than abstinence, it is more than talking the talk and walking the walk. It is part of me. I can put that part of my life behind me, but I can’t walk away from it.”

From “Healing is What Happens When You Really Just Want a Cure” by Sean Swaby:

“Cure is a destination, but healing is in who you become.”

“Cure and healing mean very different things. Cure implies an end of a condition or illness. It is more often a medical or external solution to a health problem. One day you are ill, the next day you have been treated. It may take time, but you become disease free.”

“Healing is set apart from cure. You find healing, but in spite of this, symptoms may persist. At times, you may even feel worse. Healing is not something that is done to you, instead it is something you do. Or more correctly, it is something you become.”

“Healing is a personal transformation. It is a change of heart-mind-soul that invades your relationships, your way of working, your viewpoints. I don’t believe that healing can come without a long, hard look at yourself. You have to come to terms with yourself, stark-naked-no-holding-back.”

“You let go of fear and demands of an end of pain, but rather than surrendering under it you learn a new way of relating. You find hope, again.”

“Healing is stumbling towards a new relationship with our experience, rather than trying to cure it away.”

From “The Mind-Body Connection of Emotional Healing“:

“Remember, you can only change yourself—not others. If you still feel unable or unwilling to change—find out what your unhappiness is giving you. Holding on to old hurts only hurts us.”

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