The longer that I am sober, and the more that life 'happens' the more I see my past need to drink and drug as a way to manage 'me'. I'm five and half years sober now, and recognizing that truly learning to love and even like myself has been such a necessary journey. I drank to escape my feelings of 'not enoughness'. My shame of being 'me'. Yes, temporary reprieve such as a new relationship or job or heck, a new purse, worked for a while- but I was always stuck with me. Twenty-fours hours a day, for the rest of my life. I'm not saying that unconditional self-love, self-compassion and self-acceptance are easy, but for me, along with a commitment to my program with AA, my recovery can be that simple. Not easy, but that simple. You really do deserve to love yourself. And, even like yourself on your worst days
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