How Free do you want to be?

Could you imagine being able to function on a daily basis without putting a substance into your body? Ever think about having a family of your own, going back to school, owning a home, or building healthy relationships with the people around you? Wondering how you would overcome years of self-hatred, guilt, shame, and fear? When I first started coming to the fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous, these were some of the questions that were shared by members of the program. After years of living a hopeless existence by going in and out of institutions and destroying everything that came in my path, I thought “yes” with conviction and purpose. I was tired of living in constant fear and hurting the ones I loved the most. As a newcomer to N.A., I didn’t know what to expect. I remember sharing in a meeting about needing a sponsor and the chairperson told me to talk to him after the meeting ended. The guy’s name was Dennis and he gave me his phone number. When I called Dennis the next day, he had one question: How free did I want to be? At that moment, I knew this man was going to help me save my own life.