10 Life-Changing Benefits of Working the CoDA 12 Steps With a Sponsor and Attending CoDA Meetings

1. I chose to trust in a process of recovery that has helped me and thousands of people all over the world find peace, serenity, and a way to live life with fulfillment and hope. I have learned how to solve problems as they arise and I am discovering how to love myself and then pass that love on to others so they can be healed & restored to live their lives fully. I've found that my pain can help others to heal so nothing in my life was a mistake and nothing is wasted.

2. I've gotten honest with myself, my sponsor, and my Higher Power which allows me to be free from the "secrets that make me sick." I have been able to let go of shame, guilt, anxiety, and fear in an ongoing process of change.

3. I've had the privilege to become part of a recovery family that undergirds me with the support and strength to help me walk the journey of recovery and restoration. As I go through the oftentimes painful process of feeling my feelings, my pain is buffeted by the experience,strength and hope of other CoDA members and I can move through the process of change without using people, places, and things to medicate my pain.

4. My life has taken on a sense of order and manageability. As I work through the steps, one at a time, and keep showing up consistently and purpose to commit to the healing process with my sponsor, both sponsor and sponsee grow and change together as Higher Power reveals awarenesses, solutions, commonality and more tools to keep me grounded and strong to walk the path of rigorous honesty.

5. I have come to "know" and "believe" in my Higher Power and have trusted in His power to restore me to sanity. As I trust more and more, I choose more and more to go to my Higher Power with each problem or crisis and ask for help and I "know" help is available for me and that I can trust Higher Power as I turn my will and life over to the care of Him and know that he has my best interests at heart.

6. I know I am worth healing. I've discovered that having a sponsor that is willing to "show up" for me consistently, over and over, has helped me to trust others. It has shown me I have value and I can feel worthy of others time, attention, and support.

7. I have learned to laugh at myself in a loving way. I have found that I am not that "different" from everyone else and I'm actually more alike than I am different, in my struggles, pain, and desire to be whole.

8. I'm no longer ashamed of who I am. I've replaced shame with self-esteem, confidence, and integrity (my actions line up with my words.)

9. I've discovered my core identity. As I become transformed to the way I was intended to be I've learned what I have a passion for in life, what my purpose is, and how to use boundaries to create the kind of life that is right for me.

10. I've developed a network of like-minded people and friends greater than I would ever have imagined. I feel love, support, encouragement, and value from my recovery family. They understand me and love me anyway and they keep empowering me to grow and become stronger one day at a time.

The process of 12 step recovery has transformed my life and continues to do so. I still have my many painful moments but now I know there is always a solution to get through it without medicating or looking for answers outside of myself. I am no longer a victim of other people's choices. I've come to realize I always have a choice on how I respond to life and CoDA recovery reminds me of my choices and solutions each time I find myself in a troublesome situation. I am truly learning how to live life instead of just surviving life. Keep coming back, it works if you work it!


Roberta S – 9/17/16