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Old 02-21-2007, 02:21 AM
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paulmh
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 1,415
That's a really interesting post MG. I've got to say that perfectionism is not (touches wood) a problem I've had. I feel I have a healthy attitude towards my recovery. I have some people in my f2f world - and here at SR - who I use to triangulate my recovery position sometimes - I know I'm not on a path to perfection, but I like to make sure that I'm not on a path to relapse too. The line about "thought-stopping" is resonant - I started using my step ten as a way of checking my mental processes and nipping things in the bud before they became big issues capable of tri[pping me up. Also the line about "let go of rigid and moralistic judgements about oneself" - I feel liberated from those thought patterns, full of "you shoulds". But I can still be rigid and moralistic about recovery generally, but I think that's going to be with me forever. I love reading about people recovering, however they do it. I hate reading people disrespecting other recovery systems out of prejudice. So, rigid and moralistic!

Funny, as I write that and look at your list of good practice, I'm thinking the only thing I would add is "give up the need to fix things". In recovery I have learned that I don't need to respond to someone sharing that Jesus is their personal saviour in recovery by trying to persuade them that in fact, they are the agent of their own change. I can be polite, and let them have their beliefs, and try to accord their beliefs the same respect I would wish mine to be shown. I can just - let go.
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