From the book The Zen of Recovery by Mel Ash:

“…learn to be alone and like it. We’ll like it because we will now like ourselves. The self-loathing and shame are disappearing and a self we can like is appearing. We are no longer our own worse company.”

When I drank, I isolated myself and was completely miserable because I truly was my “own worse company.” Today, I can honestly say I am starting to like the person who is emerging from the disease of alcoholism. I enjoy spending time alone because I really am not that bad of a person. I was not a “bad” person when I was using, however, I was so full of self-loathing and shame that I hated myself. Although, there are still parts of shame and such that I am still working on, it feels good to not hate myself.