For more than two decades, Bill had stopped drinking, built a life in recovery, and used meetings, service, approval, belonging, and spiritual ideas to manage internal distress. Then Byron Katie asked a question that opened a new direction: “Do you believe everything you think?” In Part 2 of this series, Bill explores how questioning thoughts helped him see the difference between another person’s behavior and the suffering created by the thoughts he believed.

Recovery begins when we become aware that addiction is creating problems and begin addressing them. But recovery often reveals more than the addictive behavior itself. It exposes the thoughts, beliefs, fears, and protective strategies that have shaped how we experience ourselves, others, and life. In this article, Bill explores how Byron Katie’s question, “Do you believe everything you think?” opened a new direction in his recovery beyond abstinence and helped him begin questioning the thoughts that had been shaping his suffering.