“Don’t pick up no matter what.” -Twelve Step wisdom. This suggestion bothered some of us at first. After all, “just say no to drugs” didn’t work all that well. But “don’t pick up no matter what” is so much more than saying no. It reminds me that, no matter what happens, drugs are not the […]
“We become an unconditional friend to ourselves. We get a simple and direct relationship with the way we are.” -What About Meditation? (CMA Pamphlet) In the rooms of CMA we learn to treat ourselves with the same kindness we show to other recovering addicts. Slowly we begin to internalize the love and acceptance we receive […]
“In all things, I need to remember to be gentle on myself but hard on my disease.” -CMA Member. Striving to maintain our sobriety can sometimes feel like a fight against our very selves. We can be so serious about getting to meetings and searching through our motives and intentions, it can feel like we […]
We try to live in the moment. Yesterday’s problems are yesterday’s affairs, and tomorrow’s surprises can wait until tomorrow. -Sober Toolkit. It is OK to begin your recovery from crystal meth addiction at the beginning–in this moment. You can’t have a different past but this moment is yours to create and the things you do […]
“Time is not a tool.” —Twelve Step wisdom. There is nothing more abstract than time. We can measure it—in seconds, hours, days, and years. But just the same, when we really want it to tick along at a predictable rate, it will slow to a crawl or fly by in a blur. The one unit […]
“I don’t think I would have had as good a time getting loaded without the associated drama.” —VOTF: Our Recovery – On Drama. Many of us come to understand that we were addicted to drama long before we found meth. We disguised our unmanageability as busyness, hustle, and struggle—anything but boredom! Crystal seemed to provide […]
“When we were ready to accept direction things began to change.” —What About God? Doing things my way for years got me to the rooms of Crystal Meth Anonymous. Living a life run on self-will, I was always making bad choices: lying to my doctor, paying my dealer before I paid rent or bills, dating […]
“It doesn’t matter what you call it. It doesn’t matter how you did it. It brought us to our knees, because without exception, that’s what it does.” —Are You a Tweaker? This is the first reading many of us hear when we come to CMA, and it unifies us. Some of us laugh, some cry, […]
“Keep in mind that these tools are not meant to overwhelm us. They are based on the experience of addicts who have found a solution.” -CMA Pamphlet – Sober Tool Kit In CMA we’re offered many powerful tools. Meetings, the Twelve Steps, a sponsor, literature—they’re all recommended to help us recover from our addiction […]
“Humility is an action…it brings perspective.” -CMA Reading – Twelve Steps: A Plan of Action When I was a newcomer, I heard many things, but I hardly listened. I was given many suggestions and told many truths, but my answer was always, “I know, I know.” I really didn’t know. Most of what I heard […]
“Witnessing others get better, I slowly start to notice that I’m getting better myself.” -Heard in a CMA meeting At one of our first meetings, we saw someone raise her hand and say, “I have 90 days!” As the room erupted in applause, she smiled and blushed, and we thought, “How on earth did […]
“Addiction was giving up everything for one thing. Recovery is giving up one thing to get everything back.” -Heard in a CMA meeting I never wanted to be a drug addict growing up. Who does!? But it all felt so exhilarating in the beginning. Crystal was seductive—it lured me in with a parade of beautiful […]
