 Welcome to the Hill Country Area of Narcotics Anonymous website. If you have found this website and have a drug problem, or know someone who does, give yourself a break and take a look around. We have been where you are and have found a way to live drug-free through Narcotics Anonymous. We invite you to take the journey of recovery with us.  It took a using addict to show us how to use; it takes a recovering addict to show us how not to use and recover. Just for today, you never have to use again! Recovery is possible in NA. The proof is in our meetings, but you have to get there first. We think you’ll be glad you came; we know we’ll be happy you made it!  Just keep coming back!
Just For Today
September 25, 2026 |
The Fourth Step--fearing our feelings |
| Page 279 |
| "We may fear that being in touch with our feelings will trigger an overwhelming chain reaction of pain and panic." |
| Basic Text, p. 30 |
| A common complaint about the Fourth Step is that it makes us painfully conscious of our defects of character. We may be tempted to falter in our program of recovery. Through surrender and acceptance, we can find the resources we need to keep working the steps. It's not the awareness of our defects that causes the most agony--it's the defects themselves. When we were using, all we felt was the drugs; we could ignore the suffering our defects were causing us. Now that the drugs are gone, we feel that pain. Refusing to acknowledge the source of our anguish doesn't make it go away; denial protects the pain and makes it stronger. The Twelve Steps help us deal with the misery caused by our defects by dealing directly with the defects themselves. If we hurt from the pain of our defects, we can remind ourselves of the nightmare of addiction, a nightmare from which we've now awakened. We can recall the hope for release the Second Step gave us. We can again turn our will and our lives over, through the Third Step, to the care of the God of our understanding. Our Higher Power cares for us by giving us the help we need to work the rest of the Twelve Steps. We don't have to fear our feelings. Just for today, we can continue in our recovery. |
| Just for Today: I won't be afraid of my feelings. With the help of my Higher Power, I'll continue in my recovery. |
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