I’ve got good news and bad news

The good news is…You’re in here. (If that’s the good news, what the hell’s the bad news?) No, really…it’s good news you’re in here because you are sober. The State has forced you into sobriety.

The bad news is… You’re getting out of here and going right back to the people, places and things that helped get you here.

But, the good news is, it’s not their fault. Not really.

Because the bad news is, it’s your fault. Nobody forced alcohol or drugs into you. They may have contributed, sure. But, you decided to do it. You made the choice, not them.

So, the good news is, you can make a different choice, a responsible choice, now that you are sober.

The bad news is, the odds are ten to one you don’t have the will power to make that choice. Not because you’re weak, not because you’re not a real man. But, because you’re an addict. And, 9 times out of ten the addiction is more powerful than the will power. If it wasn’t, you wouldn’t be an addict.

The good news is almost every addict knows he’s an addict. He may not walk around talking about it or even thinking about it. But if and when he does, deep down, he knows.

The bad news is, there’s something else inside him … that little voice that keeps telling him, “It’s no big deal…You can handle it…You can quit next week, just gotta get through this one first…Life would be impossible without the drink or the drug…And what would my friends think if I stopped.” Anybody here familiar with that little voice?

The good news is, there’s another little voice, the one that says things like, “What the fuck are you doing?!...This is trouble man…You should spend that money on the rent or the kids or the groceries or the car…You gotta get up and go to work in the morning, asshole…”

The bad news is we, and I say we because I’m an addict, too, we listen to the bad news voice… the addicted voice.

Well, the good news is, you are neither of the two voices. The bad-news voice is not YOU. The good-news voice is not YOU. They are just voices babbling on inside your head.

The bad news is, YOU are the voice that says…”:OK, I’ll have that one drink, I’ll smoke one puff, I’ll take one hit.” YOU are the voice that agrees with the logic that it’s no big deal, that you can handle it, that this time you won’t go over the edge.. That is you...the one that decides. You are the voice of choice.

Good news, bad news. You pick which one. You choose your own reality. You make it all happen.

What the hell’s all this got to do with AA?

The good news is, going to AA meetings is meaningless, a waste of time, bullshit, to use a psychology term, unless it’s your choice to be there. You don’t and wont have that choice just like I didn’t. Like you, I was ordered by the court to go to AA. So, I can tell you from experience, It’s not about going to meetings. It’s about taking Step one

… and that is a choice you can make, and that’s the good news.

The bad news is, Nobody can make that choice for you, nor can you fake it. And, it’s a difficult choice. You will feel the fear. Your heart will be pounding. Your little voice will be screaming, “this is bullshit! You’re a weenie! You can’t do it! You will fail! You’re not an addict! Do it later…not now!” The bad news is, You will be aware of all these.

But, the good news is, my friends, in spite of all that, you can make the responsible choice and say, “I am powerless over this and my life is out of control.”

And the best news of all is, after you make that choice, help is available.

Bad news… You are alone with the addiction.

Good news… you are not alone with recovery.