74 years into life, I think I may have found my tribe in CoDA. In the past few months several people I cared about deeply have hurt my feelings profoundly. I have grief as if they had died. But I realized that I, myself, am the common denominator in these scenarios. I simply have not protected my heart. For example, I moved into physical intimacy far too quickly. At the root of it seems to be a deep shame about myself and anger towards myself that stems from an adverse childhood. I’m quite sophisticated about psychology and relationships so it was easy to connect the dots and realize that in CoDA I could find lots of people with whom I share these traits and behaviors. I’m still in crisis but it seems clear that with the collective wisdom of this Fellowship – including the literature – I have a road map out of Hell to a life I can be reasonably comfortable with.

Anna N

01.29.2025