You're as sick as your secrets

Keeping things to yourself because you are ashamed is sobriety threatening. That is why we do the 5th step. It is a way to make positive changes. We need to unload secrets about ourselves. When we do the fifth step, we usually discover that the secrets are nothing to be ashamed about. We usually discover that we have been carrying a weight that had only caused us to feel bad about ourselves. Even if we are hiding something horrific, it is better for our sobriety to unload it. We should, however, exercise caution with regard to the person we do the 5th step with. It is your responsibility to find a person who is duty bound for confidentiality. Some options are a wise and trusted sponsor, a clergy person, or a mental health practitioner. But, at the end of the day, secrets are a trigger to relapse and we need to try to dump them.

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To-do:

Ask yourself if you are hiding something and ask your Sponsor if you are ready to do a fifth step. Unloading secrets allows you to feel more connected to others and less lonely.