Recovery was born out of hopelessness. What it gives to all of us that suffer is hope. I had given up on anything ever happening good in my life because of the terrific beating that was happening while I continued to drink and drug. Then I was told that all that misery would go away if I would choose to stop the drinking and drugging. I couldn't believe that because there didn't seem to be any way that made sense. But the guy who told me this said he'd been where I was and had found the way out of all that misery. And that it would work for anyone at all who was willing to give up drinking. I was hopeless and had nothing to lose. I'd wanted to stop for a long time but didn't know how. He said that he'd show me how he did it if I wanted him to. I hoped it would work for me too.