Alone in a room full of loved ones

The prison of addiction is the only prison that is locked inside.

Although the American spirit continues to tell us that we must succeed on our own, loneliness has long been viewed as a terrible thing. Even the American Transcendentalists, who espoused the virtue of solitude, seemed to understand this. Think Henry David Thoreau. Although Thoreau’s writings may suggest this, he was not alone during the two years he spent at Walden Pond. His cabin sat on land owned by his closest friend, Ralph Waldo Emerson, a 30-minute walk from the town of Concord, where he traveled frequently, usually at Spend time at a local hotel. Addicts do not seem to have this need for intimacy. We choose to live in emotional exile, which we cannot break even if we visit the local inn, like Thoreau. Many of us say that we actually feel loneliest when we are with other people. Yes, “others” include spouses and other loved ones.

today’s task
Ask yourself: When was the last time I felt truly comfortable and accepted by others?