Feminism in Recovery

I have been thinking a lot about recovery lately and I think the 2 things that have helped me the most are feminism and volunteering. Al-Anon is a good starting place, but I don't believe it finishes the job - especially for women.

The volunteering is probably an obvious thing. When you help others, you forget about your own problems. But there were many years where I was so enmeshed in my own life that I didn't even consider volunteering. I wish I had done this earlier. It would have taken me out of my own head. It also would have put me in touch with more positive-minded people instead of isolating myself.

In terms of feminism, I started Women's Studies in college and it was eye-opening. I think that was one of the biggest periods of growth in my life. But as life progressed and I went on to get my MBA and marriages, somehow most of that went by the wayside. I stopped reading and being involved with the Women's Movement for the most part.

I think feminism is so important because we are not socialized as girls to see our worth.

It is especially important for those of us who are, become or were co-dependents because feminism is one of the only things that can truly empower us as women.