If you’ve never struggled with addiction, you’re lucky. You’ll never know the hopelessness of being addicted, or of wanting to stop and not being able too. Imagine something so powerful that it uses you. It’s like that for those of us who are susceptible to a substance use disorder. We voluntarily take our first drink
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With addiction in the family, the line between helping and enabling is blurry. You might think you’re helping when you do for your addicted loved one, what they could and should, be doing for themselves. But what you’re really helping is the addiction taking over your loved one. Imagine addiction as a monster that’s hijacked
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Grieving The Loss Of Someone Who Still Lives When you love someone who struggles with addiction, an internal battle plays out. On the one hand, you’re grateful they’re alive. On the other, you’re mad as hell at them. Somewhere in the middle, you’re sick and exhausted, and you don’t know what to do. It’s different
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Before you judge, take a walk in their shoes… A Day In The Life Of An Addicts’ Mom The shrill ringing of the phone had me bolting up in bed. As I reach to answer, I remind myself to breathe. I handle the receiver as if it’s a deadly viper. I loathe it. The phone
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When helping turns deadly… Signs And Symptoms Of Enabling Behaviors. Addiction is an insidious illness that compromises every aspect of life. It also negatively impacts the lives of family members. Addiction changes the way people think, feel and behave. These changes can most often be seen through unhealthy behavior patterns such as isolating, disconnecting from
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Dear Mom, I know you’re tired. Your child’s addiction is tearig you apart. You avoid people who ask too many questions because honestly, you don’t have any answers. How does one explain what it’s like to watch their precious child struggle with addiction? You’ve kissed their face a thousand times. You’ve watched them sleep and
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In the last decade, we’ve come a long way towards understanding addiction. Once thought of as an immoral issue associated with weak-willed persons, now most people view addiction as a disease that’s progressive in nature, delusional in thinking, and maladaptive in behavior.Addicted persons are our parents, siblings, spouses, friends, doctors, lawyers, firefighters, pilots, teachers, servers,
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Addiction is finally getting the attention it deserves as a legitimate medical issue and not simply a “problem” associated with “weak willpower.” Today, medical professionals, scientists, and addiction specialists have a much better understanding of how addiction changes the structure and function of the brain. While the decision to quit is ultimately up to
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Does it hurt to be real?’ asked the Rabbit. ‘Sometimes,’ said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. ‘But when you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.’ ‘Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,’ asked Rabbit, ‘or bit by bit?’ ‘It doesn’t happen all at once,’ said the Skin Horse.
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Dear Drugs, I Hate You. You destroyed my life, took away children and left me homeless. Every time you entered my body I risked death. I hated living with you and I couldn’t live without you. I got caught in a trap of my own making. Looking back it’s clear, yet at the time I
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If you’re struggling with addiction, and promised to seek help, later – after the holidays are over, later is here. It’s time to pay up. Making good on your promise is always scary. I felt overwhelmed walking through the front doors of rehab. I was dope sick, homeless, and owed everyone money and yet I
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If this is your first Christmas clean/sober, you can expect to feel overwhelmed, sad and a little envious of your friends who can still use. It seems like the whole world is gearing up to party. You might fall into the ‘poor me’ trap that says your days of fun are over. As your old
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We often assume that money is the biggest barrier to getting help for drug and alcohol addiction—and it is a significant factor for some people, especially those without insurance. Yet, celebrities like Courtney Love and Charlie Sheen prove that money is only part of the equation. Both are financially well off, yet they’ve struggled with
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Opinion by Guest Writer Lorelie Rozzano, an internationally recognized author and advocate. IF YOU STRUGGLE with addiction as I have, you know the dark, hopeless place that exists on the other side of being high. It’s the thing that every addict tries to avoid—reality. Reality is the time and place when you’re not high or intoxicated
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Imagine taking all your painful feelings and experiences and using them as fuel for self-improvement. What if you took every tear and sob, every muffled scream, every negative thought, and gathered them all together. Now imagine an empty glass jar. Take those painful thoughts and images and place them inside the glass jar. Be thorough.
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Addiction Lies To You In The Scariest Voice Of All – YOUR OWN.
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Addiction is called a FAMILY DISEASE because the 8 essential symptoms of addiction and codependency are the same. Codependency is a condition that affects an individual’s ability to have a healthy, mutually satisfying relationship. It is also known as “relationship addiction” because people with codependency often form or maintain relationships that are one-sided, emotionally destructive
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#174 They’re our children and friends who faced an early end Why did you take them, God? Was it because they struggled so? Many others have used drugs, why did these ones have to go? Why did you take them, God? We all want to know Was it because they shot drugs in their arm?
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There’s a hole in my soul That I can’t control It makes me cry And wonder why? Its depth has no bottom It grows bigger each day I feed it pills, drugs and booze But it won’t go away It’s a hungry monster And always wants more It not satisfied ever It keeps me poor.
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The enemy I battled lived in my own mind. I wish I’d heard stories like this when I needed help. I hope my story helps you.
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I know you promised not again But here I am and ready when You feel tired, your head gets loud Sun-filled skies, roll in grey clouds Life seems to lose its precious shine Loving family fades to whine Bit by bit, it disappears The angers back, so are tears. You decide you’ve had enough Your
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You don’t have to use drugs, to get sick from them. Families suffer just as much as the addicted person does. Some say more. While the addicted person is high, the families eyes are wide-open. It can be an ugly view. Living under extreme stress changes you… and not for the good. Families may not
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Christmas is a time to celebrate family, laughter, long talks and great food. Many of you are busy right now preparing for the days ahead. The pantry has been stalked with all your favourite foods. Presents are wrapped. Stockings are stuffed. Countless hours have been spent in the mall looking for that perfect gift. You’re
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Reading this post will upset some of you. I don’t write from a position of wishful thinking, but rather from one of personal experience. I’m a recovering addict who works in the field of addiction. I’ve sat with hundreds of addicts and their families, and one thing is very clear; Addiction needs help to progress
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Thoughts tumble back and forth, playing hide and seek. They’re teasers, barely revealing themselves before racing off again. A flash of color, red, yellow and gold. It was a cold day in the dying, autumn landscape. This is what’s it’s like to live inside my mind, where ten things are happening all at once. As I sit,
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