In Times of Illness - Narcotics Anonymous

to follow suggestions from those who have facedsimilar situations successfully.When we are confronted with a medical conditionwhere we may have to take medication, our initialfear may be of taking too much, but we also may goto the other extreme. The urge to allow ourselvesto suffer unnecessarily rather than take medicationmay be great. We resist this urge to stubbornlyinsist that we know better than the doctor, refuseall medications, or neglect problems that requiremedical attention. When a professional tells us thatpain is not conducive to healing, we should listen.Likewise, ignoring health problems because of fearor pride may, in fact, make matters worse for us.Once again, we remind ourselves of the importanceof making a conscious decision not to medicateourselves or treat our own illnesses.“When I was about a year and a half clean, I suffered myfi rst bout of a recurrent illness. My sponsor told me not tobe a martyr and to go to my doctor, who knows that I ama recovering addict. I didn’t listen, and as a result I washospitalized for fi ve days, in traction and on strong medication.If I had followed my sponsor’s suggestion, I would have been ona milder medication for a much shorter period of time.”Our experience has shown that no drugs are riskfreefor us. Any medication may unleash the cravingand the compulsion that haunted us while we wereusing. Nonprescription drugs can be as dangerousas those prescribed by a physician. Even if we havenot seen the doctor, we can practice vigilanceand responsibility for our recovery by checkingIn Times of Illness15