Dallas Bragg talks about self-love in recovery: extending compassion to the parts of yourself that caused harm, lied, or chose addiction. Loving those parts doesn't mean letting them run your life. It means stopping the internal war so you can build an honest, integrated recovery.
The man who hurt people, he is you. Love him anyway. The man who lied, he is you. Love him anyway. The man who chose the pipe over his family, he is you. Love him anyway. The man who did things in those rooms that he still cannot name out loud, he is you. Love him anyway. The man who, in spite of all the work, still sometimes feels the pull on a Friday night, he is you. Love him anyway. The man who enjoyed it, This is often the hardest one. The man who, in the middle of all the destruction, had moments of pleasure, connection, ecstasy, and belonging that were real. He is you. Love him anyway. Loving these parts does not mean letting them drive. It means letting them sit in the room with you. It means stopping the war you have been waging against yourself in the name of recovery.
