Breaking Isolation
Admitting to God and to ourselves is not enough; we must break our isolation and share our faults with another human being.
Before Al-Anon I carried everything alone. I thought that was strength – not burdening anyone else with my problems. I prided myself on being self-sufficient. But the isolation was crushing. I had secrets I couldn't share. Shame I couldn't name. Fears I couldn't speak out loud.
Admitting to God and to ourselves is not enough we must break our isolation and share our faults with another human being. This requirement initially felt unfair. Why wasn't admitting to God enough? Why did I have to involve another person? But I understand now – the isolation is part of the disease. Breaking it is essential to recovery.
Secrets thrive in isolation. Shame grows in darkness. As long as I keep everything to myself I can't fully heal. But when I share my faults with another human being the isolation breaks. Light enters. The secrets lose their power.
If I've been carrying my Step Four inventory alone for weeks or months, I can break the isolation today. Call my sponsor. Schedule the Fifth Step. The secrets lose their power when I stop keeping them in isolation.
