Disclosure: This is an opinion piece on addicts and the disease of addiction. Some facts will be present in this article to back up statements.
As the holiday season approaches, it’s got me wondering what addicts that are still in active addiction are doing or thinking? I remember when I was using, and the holidays approached, I couldn’t afford presents for anyone, and I was late to my family’s house because I had to make sure I got pills before I endured a day of hiding my habit. I was still in denial, but knew that the things I was doing were not okay. It is true that addicts don’t make the best decisions when they’re actively using, due to there mind being clouded by obsession and substance. An addict will do anything they can to get that next drug, and to even avoid the first sign of a withdrawal symptom. Although this does not rationalize an addict’s behavior nor does it make it okay, we’ve got to realize that they have got a disease.
Are Addicts On The Naughty List?
Many of us grow up learning what is right and what is wrong; we grow up learning morals and how to be an acceptable member of society. Addicts who are in active addiction, however, lost sight of what is acceptable anymore. The addict’s morals and sense of what is right goes out the window, for they now are overpowered with an obsession and a disease that tells them that they don’t have a disease. Addiction is powerful and insidious, and can cause addicts to make poor decisions based on their obsession. Me, for instance, I did terrible things in my active addiction, for I feared not being dumb and the withdrawal symptoms that soon followed. The thought of a sober mind terrified me into stealing from the people around me, who once trusted me into their homes.
What I’ve learned since then is that I was never a bad person; I just made bad choices. People make bad decisions every day, and addicts just lose all sense of morality. There were many times where I would steal or pawn something, saying to myself that I would get it back next week; of course I never did. I was so deep into the black hole of addiction, and had hit so many bottoms that I didn’t know how to live anymore. Addicts have a tendency to keep digging a bottom until they’re left with two choices: to live or to die. The famous J.K. Rowling once said, “Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” With a sober mind, I understand what this means. Active addicts however, have a much different mindset. Despite what common myths say about addiction, addicts are not bad people.
I’ve found that people often get uncomfortable when talking about addiction. There is such a stigma on this disease, often based on television shows, popular opinions, media stories, etc, and combined, they give off the impression that addicts are weak and self-centered. In reality, an addict loses self-control because addiction is a progressive disease in the brain that causes obsession, physically and mentally. Many people don’t understand the powerful hold that this disease can have on a person, and their mind. Essentially, what it comes down to is that people often fear what they don’t understand.
Help For Addicts
No matter what bad decisions addicts make, they still deserve a second chance at life and recovery. There is help available for the addicted, and that’s what we do; we help. I’ve come to realize that my worst day sober is still better than my best day high. I’ve been able to make amends for the wrongs that I have done and caused, and have gotten a chance for a new life today. Statistically, 100 people die from a drug overdose a day; that could have been me. Thankfully, I got help and went into addiction treatment; you can too. By making a simple phone call that costs nothing, you can have an opportunity to turn your life around and give yourself the gift of life this holiday season. Don’t wait, because addiction is serious and often fatal, so if you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, call 1-866-527-5252 now to see what your options for treatment are today!
