Saturday, March 16, 2024
Today’s Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:
Fear Factor
For me, the motivating factor for not telling people I was in recovery was fear. I didn’t know what that was going to be like. I was always afraid, not only about how I was going to be perceived but also of whether it would be held against me. Would it limit me? Would I be different? So I never let my superiors know, because I wasn’t going to give them an opportunity to treat me differently. I’m not saying they would, but that was my way of protecting myself from the unknown.
Sometimes I met with people outside of my command. One such person was a Navy counselor on a ship; we would meet for lunch. The neat thing was — he was in recovery. Talking to somebody like me was a lot easier than somebody who’s judging me based on my education or training. Who better to go see on the other side of the desk?
Today I will have a spirit of discernment when sharing my recovery with others.
— Joe H., U.S. Navy, 1988–2015
Hazelden Foundation
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