Seeing of the problem

As we progress in phase two, we come to recognize the most important truth about spiritual development. The real solution to multiple addictions is not in becoming perfect or becoming a saint. The real solution is in just one thing. It is in the seeing of the problem. This is a much bigger task than it may sound.

Early on in our recovery, we stressed the importance of taking action. We took concrete steps to change our lives and found that a Higher Power was necessary to make these changes. Now that those changes have happened, we begin to look at ourselves from a new perspective. We do this through the eyes of a Higher Power which makes “seeing the problem” a completely different experience than it might have been before.

“Seeing the problem” is a simple thing to say but an extremely hard thing to do. It first takes a devoted form of action in our lives and then it takes a new perception that can only come through a relationship with a Higher Power. Seeing the problem in ourselves requires continual attention each and everyday. It requires a determination that very few people have to both maintain a new lifestyle and maintain a new vision. We must look deeply at ourselves and the way we live our lives each day but remember that it isn’t we who are doing these things. This is an ability that can only be developed over long periods of time. It can be easily talked about but is rarely experienced.

The solution of “seeing the problem” cannot be overstated nor can it be over-applied in our lives when it comes to multiple addiction. We may sometimes feel guilt or shame about something we have done in the past but a new found relationship with a Higher Power will assure us that these experiences no longer belong to the person we used to be. That person who we thought we were was part of our ego and we no longer act that way anymore.

When we truly begin to see that the solution involves every aspect of who we are, it starts to become apparent that it involves a complete change of lifestyle for us. We have to change our behavior and our attitude in such a way as to make it easier to see our own problems. Stopping the old behaviors is the first part of this process. Learning to see ourselves in a new way is the next step. We have to move away from the more destructive addictions into the more benign ones and ultimately to an entirely different experience of who we are. We have to make “seeing” an easier thing to do but also recognize that this is a process rather than an “instant fix”. If we decide that this is too much for us, we may turn back for a while and return to some of our earlier habits. If we are serious, however, and decide that we want something better, we may finally decide to begin some more serious changes.