Within Candeo’s online recovery training program, there is a special forum where our recovery Students across the world have an opportunity to communicate, share ideas, support and encourage one another, etc. Here is a recent entry on the forum that expresses a process which many who struggle with addiction go through during the holidays. The encouraging thing about this recovery Student’s post, is that this holiday season, things appear to be turning out different.
“With the holidays approaching, I remember the past decades I have struggled with addiction and tried and failed repeatedly to overcome. I remember, what now seems like every Christmas and every Birthday promising myself, “this year my present to myself is I will stop doing this forever.” And every new year, my resolution was always the same…”this will be the year…” Then within a few weeks, I would retract the gift from myself with very little fanfare. (Candeo talks about us being our own best friend: What kind of friend retracts their gifts from the person they gave it to every year, without fail?)”
“It looks to be different this year. I am going into the longest sobriety period I have experienced in quite some time. Now on level 9, I will probably complete the Candeo program through the holidays. With the help of these amazing tools, and God’s generous blessings, I have been through two very difficult waves and come out on the other side. And the most amazing thing is that the waves have become fleeting (albiet still intense) experiences that come and then go, whereas before they would just build and build and get more stressful until I finally gave in. I don’t like the waves at all, but I have looked them in the face twice now and stood my ground. That has not happened before in my life. I anticipate I finally might be ready to give myself that gift I have been trying to give for so many years. At least I have more hope than I have felt in a long long time.”
“As Vinster said in the “Chess and Porn” post, we are all just looking for Peace and Joy through our recovery. Based on my experience, I fully believe that peace and joy ARE within the reach of each of us, regardless of how caught up we feel we are in the grips of addictive behaviour. Isn’t the anticipation of that peace and joy the point of the holidays we are about to celebrate?”
“To the staff and mgt of Candeo and all those fellow students who have shared their hopes, dreams, struggles, failures and life’s lessons on this forum, thanks to all of you for the gifts of charity, compassion, hope and faith. May your holiday season be one of joy and peace and your new year filled with hope.”
And when you feel you are ready, we hope you will give the Candeo Recovery Training Program a try in your life. We at Candeo, and many of our recovery Students world-wide, are here ready to encourage and support you on your own personal path to freedom.
