If nothing changes, nothing changes - Ernie Larson

With shame and embarrassment after each relapse we promise ourselves that this time it will be different. And then we find out that we have not really changed. The relapses become more frequent, more demoralizing, more degrading and more dangerous. As long as we think we can fix our problem by ourselves, we cannot stop the insanity that is our addiction. We make claims to our work, family and friends that this time it will be different. We thought we found the error in our last resolution to quit and we now know what went wrong - this time we will succeed. If thinking about change is enough for us to lose our addictive behavior, we would have fixed ourselves a long time ago. How selfish are we to believe that we can simply “think” change. Clearly, thinking alone has not been enough. At each meeting we read “If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it, then you are ready to take certain steps”. The deciding part of that sentence is only the first half of change. Taking action on that decision is what will actually send us down the path of change. We’ve proven just thinking about it got us nowhere. So this time, after we make a decision, we actually have to take a step in the direction of change.

Please let me remember what the time proven definition of insanity is – doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result