What a cool commercial, sort of Southern trailer park avant garde… now that’s truth in advertising! Initially catching my attention because I pass through Cullman often in my travels, this clip seemed like a good way to highlight the importance of honesty, particularly with oneself, in recovery. According toStephen King addiction is the liar’s disease, “substance abusers lie about everything, and usually do an awesome job of it.” He says about the only way to overcome the affliction is to practice complete honesty, but that this usually requires the occasional audience of our peers as a grounding influence (meetings).
Because if my own career as a drunk both active and sober has convinced me of anything, it’s convinced me of this: Addictive personalities do not prosper on their own. Without unvarnished, tough-love truth-telling from their own kind — the voices that say, ”You’re lying about that, Freckles” — the addict has a tendency to fall back into his old ways. ~ Stephen King, The Liar’s Disease
Beyond the fact that I’m in total agreement with Mr. King on this subject, telling the truth not only feels good but just makes life remarkably easier and prevents stress. Here’s a few quotes that I thought exemplified this recovery concept.
The truth brings with it a great measure of absolution, always. ~R.D. Laing
We tell lies when we are afraid… afraid of what we don’t know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be found out about us. But every time we tell a lie, the thing that we fear grows stronger. ~Tad Williams
A lie will easily get you out of a scrape, and yet, strangely and beautifully, rapture possesses you when you have taken the scrape and left out the lie. ~Charles Edward Montague
There’s a great technical article on the subject I’ll highlight tomorrow that examines the relationship between lies and addiction, but until then have a safe and sober weekend everbody!
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