Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.
--Anonymous

One of the biggest problems of addiction began with the initial desire to increase and continue to use an addictive substance. All of us who have gotten to the point of overdoing the consumption of a substance were basically, in some manner, filling a need to be what we thought was "normal" like other people.

We were convinced we were unworthy, inadequate, afraid, and lonely whenever we compared ourselves to others. We disconnected and isolated ourselves, not only from our peers, but also from our own real selves. We lived in a world of fantasy.

Our problem was more than a physical hunger for the things that made us dependent. It was also not dealing with crazy thinking, self-defeating behavior, and screwed-up emotions.

Today, I'll remember addiction is two-fold: one was my substance use and the other was an irrational thinking problem.