Any battle with addiction is difficult. Any recovery period feels long and takes its toll on your life. However, if you have had a particularly lengthy struggle with addiction and time spent in recovery, the havoc it wreaks on your life can be overwhelming. While being an addict, trying to quit, and going through recovery, everything else takes a back seat: your relationships, your job, your health and your finances. While putting yourself first in order to get well is important, you also need to consider the effects your struggles have had on others. As an addict, you may have done some terrible things. You not only failed to contribute to society, you may have also been a harmful aspect of it. Now that you are on the mend, the time has come to re-enter society as a contributing, useful and respected member, but it will not be easy.