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NW: i hope others will follow and break out of the cage...

I suspect that "the cage" represents different things to each of us and perhaps, more than one thing. In the context of this dialogue, "the cage" was an expectation that I would never get better. If I had listened to those expectations, I don't think I'd be where I am now. Like you, I had many keys that helped open that cage that frequently came in the form of other people.

Meantime, I added yet another "voice" to my new blog tonight: Steve Morgan: Recovery & NAMI