Life Without Fear

"Fear is an element of all chemical dependencies. The fear is not panic or agoraphobia, but a terror that has been described as follows by a recovering person: 'Ever since I was a kid I felt I was walking through a minefield.' When we walk through a minefield, we are aware that the next step may blow us to bits. If the next step is survived, it may be the one after that. There is no relief, because minefields are everywhere: at home or at work, when alone or with friends. The only respite is a chemical, for the brief period of its action.

But these minefields exist only in our imagination. They are as unreal as other hallucinations. This is the insanity to which the program refers-the insanity of believing there are mines where none exist. Some psychologists help a person walk safely through the minefield. The Twelve Step program helps a person realize that the minefields do not exist. The promise of recovery is serenity instead of fear. Gradually the mines disappear, and we can direct our efforts to dealing with the challenges of the real world that do exist. With recovery we gain the wisdom to know the difference."

---Dr. Abraham Twerski