Offense!!

When someone does something or says something that offends me, I always want to make it about THEM!!!  Their fault, their ignorance, their mean-ness.  When in fact, It is ALL ABOUT ME!  The way I react to what someone says usually means I need to take a really strong look at what they are saying, or doing.  I'm not talking about obvious things.  When I ask a question, and get an answer that I don't like, it's usually what i need to consider most strongly.  When I first entered recovery, my counseling group suggested that one of the reasons I used drugs was because I was unhappy in my marriage, and depressed.  HA HA HA HA HA   I thought they were crazy!  I was so offended by that?  What?  ME???  depressed??  Look, I lead a normal life, perfect wife, kept house, work full time, full time mom, blah blah blah..... Truth was...... they were exactly right!!  I was MISERABLE.  I didn't want to accept the fact that my marriage had failed and I was severely depressed and using opiates to medicate that depression and unhappiness.    So, when someone does something or says something that is offensive, take a good strong look........at your reaction to the situation.  That's the only thing you can change.....your reaction.