I was sitting around with some friends last night talking about old times over dinner.
I think it’s sad that the most commonly seen face of addiction and of drug use in general is that of failure. We see it on the news, in the tabloids, and it seems to seep into our minds.
I guess it shouldn’t be surprising given the overly negative tone of the media in this country overall, but as I was talking with my friends last night, it dawned on me:
Even though we’ve all seen the uglier side of life, even though some of us made it down to a place those around us thought we’d never come back from, here we are, well and healthy, and back on the other side.
As I’d mentioned before, I’m working on a book that details my travels down the rabbit hole and back. Last night was proof that these stories need to be heard. Although coming back from drug use, even heavy use, even addictive use, is not easy; it is possible, even common.
I’m sick of the stigma of “lost cause”, especially because I think it’s so unjustified. There are so many that walk around us having conquered what most still think is a death sentence. It’s time to dispel the myth.
3 responses to “The hopeful side of my addiction – Drug use is not always a dead end street”
I found your site on google blog search and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. Just added your RSS feed to my feed reader. Look forward to reading more from you.
Karen Halls
Your right maybe some day the ones that are lost inside that dark tunnel of addiction they will come back.MeldY
I agree with your post. Even for parents, we have to learn to embrace the life that we never planned on. The life of watching our children struggle through their addiction, some hopefully finding sobriety. We suffer along with them in our own way, trying to help as best we can, all the while learning about addiction and trying to be strong. If and when our child recovers, the person that emerges through to the other side is often healthier, and stronger than they may have been if they had not had the experience. I don’t wish it on anyone, but there can be a very positive outcome.