Recovery is a long journey, not for the faint of heart. Since my first meeting 12 years ago, I have been in well over 2,000 recovery meetings, including those that I lead. I have seen the spectrum – guys with 30 years of sobriety and those who struggle to get 24 hours.
Sadly, I have watched hundreds of men fall out of recovery. How does this happen? I see four groups of addicts who don’t make it. I’m talking about people who . . .
- Back out – they never get started
- Bail out – they quit when it gets hard
- Burn out – they start fast but don’t last
- Blank out – they quietly disappear
Tucked in the pages of one of the least-read books of the Bible, we find this message. It reads as if it was written directly to the addict: “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded” (2 Chronicles 15:7).
Recovery Step: There are a lot of reasons people quit recovery. And none of them are good.
