“By actively working the program of Co-Dependents Anonymous, we can each realize a new Joy, acceptance and serenity in our lives.” — CoDA Preamble Actively working the program of Co-Dependents Anonymous, that’s the part that brought my ego down and my CoDA Steps back into the driver seat of my life. In my recovery work the quickest way to feel the worst and go back to the old ways of living was not being active in my program.

I brilliantly decided that after a year of recovery I had it all together. I was healed, I did not need CoDA because my higher power and myself were going to get through this together, I have the literature … I got this. Wrong! And Wrong! The day that I decided “I got this” I found myself: Trucking a friend around town from her old roommate’s house, to get stuff from another person’s house, to the store, then very irritated sitting in my car waiting for her for about an hour. Then I realized what in the name of codependence is happening right now? I’m back to doing things I don’t want to do. I’m not a taxi, my time is precious. How did I end up back into my compliance role? Doing things I have no desire to do at the expense of my own sanity. I put my head on my steering wheel and screamed until I started to chant “By actively working the program of Co-dependence anonymous, We can realize a new Joy, acceptance and serenity in our lives.” *Ding *Ding!! I have to get out of here, I have no serenity no joy and I surely wasn’t going to accept this as a result for my life.

I’m now 3 years in CoDA this December. My CoDA birthday is 12/11/19. I work my program 365 days a year, I share my experience, strength and hope at speaker meetings, I’m a part of a CoDA Committee, I do a lot of service in not only my home group but in other meetings, I do my step work daily and practice CoDA principles in all my affairs. I’m so grateful for this program and the unconditional love from all of the fellowship. I’ll keep coming back and I’ll keep working on myself because I deserve to be recovered, and happy. I deserve to be here.

Denire’ (recovering Co-dependent)