Hi Milroy
It's not something that's unique to addicts...a lot of us deal with life long illnesses - some people are epileptic, some are diabetic, some have mental illnesses...I myself was born with cerebral palsy.
You make the best of things, I think
I have to own the label disabled I guess - it means I have to make some modifications to my life...but I don't consider myself disabled...I'm just me.
Its the same with the label of addict/alcoholic - I've had to make some modifications to my life, I guess it's what I am, but deep down I'm still just me.
I don't think of it as any kind of loss anymore - and I don't think you'll find many people with any significant recovery time who feel that they've lost anything by staying clean and sober.
I've gained a heck of a lot from my recovery
It's hard and a little bit unsettling to change our lives. It takes time and a little patience.
Give recovery a chance to settle in, Milroy
D