This is "LOVE IS WHAT YOU NEED," which is Chapter Six of "The Addict's Guide to Recovery" by Emily Sussman, LCSW; illustrated by J.E. Larson.

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"Before I discuss the divine and miraculous solution that’s given me the power to free My True Self from the chains of My Addict, I would like to make one request: that you close your eyes for a moment, and visualize your mind as an open door. No locks, no fences, no complicated security codes. Now, leave that door open for the duration of this book, if you will. Even just a crack, if that’s all you can manage. Thank you.

Here goes: what keeps me sober, what keeps me healthy, and what keeps me happy today is love. Not watching YouTube videos about love. Not listening to podcasts about love. Not reading about love. Not meditating on it, or taking master classes on it, or even sitting around talking about it. What’s worked is actually going out and practicing love — with other people, yes, but with myself, unconditionally.

I can assure you that before I began walking the road of recovery, I didn’t know the first thing about love. But I’ve learned — and I’m still learning. How to accept that I need love. How to ask for love. How to give love. How to receive love. How to appreciate love. How to show myself love. How wonderful real love feels. And above all, how to practice love in my day-to-day life.

You can learn too, my dear Addict friends. That means that you, too, can live a peaceful, free, and happy life, safe from the soul-sucking, shame-inducing clutches of Your Addict. I have all the faith in the world about that."

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Sent with True Love from the Universe ❤️💫