Anger Management. "I know I am not supposed to get angry too often in recovery. When I do, I mutter the serenity prayer, even though I am not religious in the least. I switch the words around a bit though: I say it like this: 'God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, courage to change the person I can, and wisdom to know that that person is me.' But I'll be honest with you, I get mighty angry at my family and friends who are not in recovery who go on and on about how bad I was in my past, then tell me how cool it was that I got clean—while they are snorting a line of coke or dragging on a big joint. I moved away from them ages ago, but more and I more for my recovery I need to stop coming around here for holidays like Thanksgiving, or Easter which is coming up. Yeah I get angry, and I pray, but when they wonder why I still have to go to 'those NA meetings' it's the straw that breaks the camels back. Thing I realized the other day was, yeah—I do have the courage to change me...and simply not go back around them anymore. My clean time means far too much to me to ruin it staying angry about a situation I can change by taking action to protect myself. People, places and things."—Terrance F., Nashville, TN
