“We were not problem users whose problems went away when we threw away our stash. When we stopped using, we found we had a problem with living; we were addicts.”

– Life with Hope, first edition, page 6

Marijuana is just a symptom of the real problem, me. My thoughts and actions are just not right. I have both a feeling of grandiosity and low self-esteem. I think I’m not good enough, and that no one loves or likes me. I used marijuana to cope with these feelings. Now that I’m not using, I really feel those feelings. There is a solution, the Twelve Steps.

When I work the Steps, I begin to recover. These feelings do not have power over me anymore. I get some peace and serenity. Through the Steps I am able to clear up the wreckage of the past, repair my relationships with others, and connect with a Higher Power of my own understanding.

I can live my life again. I get to be a productive worker at my job. I am reliable for my family and friends. I am a useful member of society. One day at a time, I don’t use. With the Steps in my life, I recover.

Final thought: Today, I will work the Steps and recover.