Early in recovery, I remember being in a meeting and hearing an old guy share –
“My worst day sober is better than my best day drinking.”
Ugh. Really? Recovery clichés? Are people really gonna say the same things over and over again?
And with this particular cliché – bullshit. I’ve had some amazing days drinking.
I must say that I still don’t love hearing clichés because I think they’re kinda lazy. Worse, when people use clichés, they’re not using their own words. So I feel like they’re not being authentic, and that turns me off to the whole share.
I know, I know, talk to my sponsor. Take what I need and leave the rest. Sigh. I’m working on it.
Anyway, clichés can also be quite insightful, or funny, or, well, infuriating.
Here, compiled with help from dozens of Nashville recovery friends, is a list of the recovery clichés and slogans we love to hate. I ranked ‘em for fun, for cringe-worthiness and hilarity.
24. Keep it simple.
23. Girls can only get you drunk if you drink out of ‘em.
22. The good thing about getting clean is, you get your feelings back. The bad thing is, you get your feelings back.
21. Stick with the winners.
20. This too shall pass.
19. It’s the first drink that gets you drunk.
18. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.
17. Fake it ‘til you make it.
16. It must be God’s will.
15. It ain’t them.
14. The worst thing that ever happened to me never actually happened.
13. The only thing “cured” is a country ham.
12. I have another drunk in me, but I don’t have another recovery.
11. You spot it, you got it.
10. If nothing changes, nothing changes.
9. Meeting makers make it.
8. Just don’t use no matter what.
7. While I’m in here, my disease is doing push-ups in the parking lot.
6. Take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth!
5. Denial – It ain’t a river in Egypt.
4. You’ll end up locked up, covered up or sobered up.
3. “Normal” is just a setting on the washing machine.
2. The only thing you have to change is everything.
1. Feelings are like gas – they pass.
So which ones do you love? Which make you cringe? Which ones need to be added to this list? Let me know in the comments section below.
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