Losing All Afterwards

I met a woman recently who told me that she had lost a job, a house, and a relationship AFTER she stopped drinking and drugging.  I asked her what else she changed after she stopped the drinking/drugging.  She had done nothing else.  She thought her problem was the booze and drugs.  After she lost all, she surrendered to a twelve step program of recovery with all that entails.  She found out that when she stopped drinking/drugging, she was a selfish, self-centered, manipulative and controlling, angry person, but did not see that.  In other words, the drink was her solution to herself, all her flaws.  The substance stuff was not her problem.  It was her solution.  She was her problem, but she did not find that out until she got into a recovery program.  The steps revealed her to herself.  Many of us use work, exercise, TV, and other things as ways to divert us from ourselves and our shortcomings.  Others see us as we are.  We are blind to it.  This is why I need a spiritual practice, a God Program each day.  I need God's eyes, either through prayer or another person who is on the spiritual path.  By the way, this woman now has a job and a place to live.  She is holding off on the relationship thing for now.  She does not want a man to be the solution.  She is learning to love.