Suffering

Outsiders have the false notion that what brings addictive people together to work on their issues is the addiction.  Alcoholism brings alcoholics together.  Not so.  When acting out their addiction, alcoholics were lots of times with others who were just like them.  But they were "alone with others."  What brings addictive people together to work on their addiction, to keep it at bay, is suffering.  They share a common suffering.  Keep this in mind whenever you are in a group that is trying to get better, to improve, become transformed even.  It could be a church, a gym, yoga group, quilt makers, not to mention grief support and twelve step programs.  There is the presenting reason, and the deeper pain. I try to work on the deeper pain.  It keeps me connected to others.  Don't write off desperation either.  It can be the road to action.