Non-stop Addiction Spanned for Decades

It was the first time in years that we had hope. It had been a rocky four weeks since my brother-in-law got out of jail on drug-related theft charges. And, for the first time, it was him who suggested that he needed help to combat a non-stop addiction that has now spanned decades.

He checked himself into a highly respected recovery center in New York. Cautiously, we were feeling optimistic; he seemingly was embracing the program and following a few weeks of treatment, they set him up in halfway house. It had strict rules, oversight, mandatory drug testing and of course, a zero tolerance policy regarding drug use. In addition to a warm bed and a safe room over his head, counselors worked with him to help find a skill he could apply to a steady job, or even better, a career.

Anxiety can lead to substance abuse

Anxiety is something that most people experience before something significant occurs in their life – this could be sitting a test or making a public speech. Occasional anxiety is not a big deal, and can even motivate some to perform better. For others, anxiety becomes a far more destructive force in their life, and can be made worse by alcohol and drugs. In some instances the symptoms of anxiety will be what drove the individual to substance abuse in the first place, but it is also possible for the individual to develop anxiety problems as a result of their alcohol or drug intake.

Uneasiness and apprehension about future uncertainties

People who suffer from anxiety are three times more likely to turn to substance abuse than those who do not have such symptoms. Anxiety is a feeling of fear and concern. It can also be described as a state of uneasiness and apprehension about future uncertainties. It is normal for people to experience a bit of anxiety from time to time, but for some people such feelings can cause a disruption in their life

We Only Have to Change One Thing

When we come to recovery for the first time, we're told we only have to change one thing: Everything! But just like it says in the Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text, How It Works, "This sounds like a big order and we can't do it all at once, we didn't become addicted in one day, so remember, easy does it." And we say, “But do it!” We’re told, the person we are today will use again, so change must happen in order for us to stay clean and sober.

Look where we’ve ended up! We are at meeting instead of a bar on a Friday night. Whoever would have thought this would happen? It is time to put away our old ways of thinking and doing and try something different, otherwise we are guaranteed more pain, suffering and misery. So where do we start?