I follow quite a few groups and blogs regarding addiction - yesterday as I listened to Rockers in Recovery live on facebook, it just reconfirmed to me how drug addiction is a growing problem that too many children and adults are losing their life to. It's not just a select few that many would like to think - it's people in our family, friends, and co-workers. I read on ASAM that drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the US, and of the 21.5 million Americans, 12 and older had a substance abuse disorder in 2014, 1.9 million involved prescription pain killers, and 586,000 involved heroin. Do you see the problem?
I have addiction in my family and it is not just the problem of the addict, it becomes a family problem, and a society problem. It damages families, relationships, neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces to name a few. We all need to become better educated on addiction and do what we can to fix this growing epidemic.
I know many of you don't agree that it's a disease. It took me many years to accept it as that because I didn't understand why will power wasn't enough to stop using; or how you can be surrounded with blessings, but still want to escape. I didn't understand how the addict can turn an entire family upside and be unaffected from it. And I still struggle with those things because I believe apologies are important, and children and family are precious. But I learned that addiction is a complex disease of the brain, so it's not that easy.
It's a tough road for everyone involved. There's days that I spiral out of control because of it and walk around screaming, why God, why my family, as I pray for it to end because I'm so exhausted from this battle. I'm reminded why not my family, which makes me stop to think what it must feel like to be the addict. I'm sure there's days that they're also screaming why me and praying for it to end.
I've lost all judgments that I once had towards the addict and their families. I use to silently shame the families when I would see young people living on the streets dirty and broken, until I became one of those families. Yes, God opened my eyes to a monster I didn't know, and put me on a path that I never thought I'd walk. I believe there's blessings in our battles, so the journey will continue with me walking in faith.
Peace, Love, & Hugs!
I have addiction in my family and it is not just the problem of the addict, it becomes a family problem, and a society problem. It damages families, relationships, neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces to name a few. We all need to become better educated on addiction and do what we can to fix this growing epidemic.
I know many of you don't agree that it's a disease. It took me many years to accept it as that because I didn't understand why will power wasn't enough to stop using; or how you can be surrounded with blessings, but still want to escape. I didn't understand how the addict can turn an entire family upside and be unaffected from it. And I still struggle with those things because I believe apologies are important, and children and family are precious. But I learned that addiction is a complex disease of the brain, so it's not that easy.
It's a tough road for everyone involved. There's days that I spiral out of control because of it and walk around screaming, why God, why my family, as I pray for it to end because I'm so exhausted from this battle. I'm reminded why not my family, which makes me stop to think what it must feel like to be the addict. I'm sure there's days that they're also screaming why me and praying for it to end.
I've lost all judgments that I once had towards the addict and their families. I use to silently shame the families when I would see young people living on the streets dirty and broken, until I became one of those families. Yes, God opened my eyes to a monster I didn't know, and put me on a path that I never thought I'd walk. I believe there's blessings in our battles, so the journey will continue with me walking in faith.
Peace, Love, & Hugs!
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