Please don’t be so cool.

I see it everywhere. People want to be cool. They do various hand gestures. There’s the peace sign, the victory sign. They speak in creaking, cool voices, as if they are holding smoke in their lungs from a deep puff. They Walk with cool walks. Accessories and clothing must be so very cool.

Cool can kill.

Always be cool is the code that actively using Addicts live by. They must be hip, slick and cool. If you’re not cool enough, you can’t be in the club. Nerds and geeks not welcome. unless the nerd happens to be a doctor, nurse or paramedic administering Narcan to a cool addict who is overdosing. Cool for addicts is not cool.

Always Be Clean.

A much better way to live is to always be clean. Drop the cool. It’s not worth it. The tattoos and Harleys and leather are all great, but be careful. Cool may lead you back to a relapse. Don’t be too cool to ask for help. And, don’t be too cool to share how you feel.

Always be conscious.

A friend told me this. He said that after getting clean, we should try to be conscious of what we are doing and what happens around us. Be aware. Know what triggers you. See what helps you to move forward and what might take you back. Spend your time with the people who lift you up and not those who pull you down.

It is cool to not be cool.

You can drop the cool act and still be cool. These days, being uncool is cool. It is cool to be yourself. You can be who you are and follow your dreams. It is cool to do what you like to do. Be the person you dreamed of being when you were a little kid. Don’t be cool. Be clean. Be you.

The post Never Be Cool. Always Be Clean. appeared first on Recovering Addict Advice.