And I agree...I certainly never meant to imply that it is impossible to reform your image, so to speak, and to find some sort of place to "fit in" again. Obvio

And I agree...I certainly never meant to imply that it is impossible to reform your image, so to speak, and to find some sort of place to "fit in" again. Obviously, AA/NA, volunteering, and perhaps even church groups are all potential ways to build social connections after a lifelong struggle with addiction. But please, don't minimize too much how one's destroyed self-image affects one's motivation to begin anew, esp. in your 50's.