If You Want What We Have

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Before a secret is told, one can often feel the weight of it in the atmosphere.
SUSAN GRIFFIN

Newcomer
When I had a wisdom tooth pulled a few days ago, the dentist gave me a medication that contains codeine. I’ve heard people at meeting say they take their doctor’s prescriptions, so I knew it was okay to use it if necessary. As it turned out, I didn’t need to take any—the pain wasn’t that bad. I don’t know why, but I kept the pills. They’re still in my medicine cabinet. Codeine isn’t something I ever took when I was active.

Sponsor
You’re right in thinking that you are in danger area here. I recommend that you throw out the medication right now, and I don’t mean just tossing in into the wastebasket. Flush the pills down the toilet, or put them in a rubbish bag and take it out of your home; I’ll wait here while you do it.

There are medical reasons to use some drugs as prescribed. It’s when we prescribe for ourselves, or start imagining pains to justify unnecessary does, that we’re in trouble. We can let the doctor know that we have a history of abusing substances and that it may cause us problem to take home more pills than we’re likely to need. Knowing this, he or she may prescribe non-additive medicines when there is a choice.

Even if our use of pain killers is legitimate, sharing with a sponsor or at a meeting the fact that we have prescribed medicines in our possession is a good idea. If it’s not a secret, it may seem less compelling to us.

Today, I don’t have to have secrets. I stay on the recovery path by sharing feelings and events that might otherwise threaten my serenity.