"On our journey, we need the assistance of a trusted friend with knowledge of recovery." BRB p. 379

The ACA Big Red Book tells us we're trained with 72 seasons (18 years) of learned survival skills that turned into dysfunctional behavior as adults. Knowing this makes it seem unreasonable to expect total recovery in a few meetings, a few hours with the ACA Workbook or even a cover-to-cover read of the Big Red Book.

In cases of divorce, it's said that it takes a year of grieving to recover for every five years of marriage. If we translate that formula to our circumstances of grieving our ACA "soul rupture," it becomes even more understandable that recovery is an ongoing process. And it can't truly happen without the help of our Higher Power and fellow travelers who are able to lead us away from years of frozen emotion.

ACA recovery has its ups and downs, no matter how hard we work at it. So it's important to know we can relapse, just as in other Twelve Step programs. However, an ACA relapse can take us into periods of sadness and isolation. This becomes less frequent as we continue to give ourselves permission to be human and to make mistakes. We learn to put down the mirror of harsh selfjudgment to let life and serenity in.

On this day I will remember that recovery is a journey that I don't have to take alone. I will trust other ACAs who are also seeking the truth to help me.