A Letter for Families to Use with An Addicted Family Member CA

When you first came into my life, I believed that you would help me ease all the pain I was going through. And that my traumatic childhood experiences would disappear. You became the hardest relationship I have ever had to experience. You started to take more than you gave. In fact, you stopped giving anything at all. You took almost everything away from me—my job, my family, my friends, and my happiness. Payton started drinking at 14, which was the only thing that made him feel like he fit in. He dealt with self harming at times and lost most people that were closes to him.

No, I am making the decision to leave you now. I was scared of what my life might look like without you. I watched you dig my grave from day one. As the days went by, I stood by and did nothing. Then, you decided to push me into that grave. You thought that you would be able to get rid of me. I will not let it because I am stronger than you and I am saying goodbye.

A Goodbye Letter to My Addiction

But the real truth was that my addiction to you was always in charge. And the obsession is gone; I don’t miss you. I’m responsible for my own behavior now. I know I’ll never completely forget my first love – no one ever really does. What you do with your completed letter is up to you. Many people choose to keep Sober Home the letter in a safe place where they can revisit it occasionally for inspiration or to see how far they’ve come since writing it. Others choose to destroy their letters as a sign of being done with their addiction once and for all. That said, I know I cannot blame you entirely for the way things have gone.

Now you’ve been out of my life for three years. I realize when I first left you, I never properly said goodbye. I guess back then, when I first got sober, I wasn’t confident that I would stay that way. I’m taking enormous strides in my life. I spent years trying to leave you, but I never succeeded for more than a few days or weeks at a time. In fact, I was in debt because of you. You seduced me with the idea that I was free of all prejudices and that “society” was trying to brainwash me. Abandoning my career goals, I turned to petty crimes. Abandoning friendship, I turned to exploiting others. No longer brainwashed by society, I hardly realized how I was being brainwashed by you.

Addiction Treatment Options

Euphoria pouring all over my body as I lay there nodding off, I pushed you off me and said goodbye for the evening. I thought that was going to be the only time but your magnetic pull had other plans. I consider myself lucky because I didn’t lose my life for you. Unfortunately, I know many who did perish at your hand. They were unable to break free from you. I’m still haunted by your memory despite the knowledge that I’m much better off without you. My body and my brain both longed to return to your hold, but I had grown strong enough to pull away. After struggling through those first few weeks, I was determined to make a new life; one that did not include you, or any other substance, for that matter. Maybe it was because when I was at my lowest points, you helped ease that pain; you gave me back a sense of control. Or at least, that’s what I thought, then.

• Randal Lea, our Chief Community Recovery Officer is a licensed addictions counselor with 30 years of clinical and administrative experience.
• There is a saying that the hardest thing to do in life is to say goodbye.
• I now have a new job, and have made new friends through recovery support groups who have broken free from their substance abuse problems, just as I have.
• You added to my distress and sorrow, and you became the most dependent relationship I’ve ever had.
• I have been a sober man for over 10 years now and worked in the field of drug and alcohol treatment for the past 8 years.

I was sick with withdrawal from you, but I felt your hold weakening. Afterwards, I went to an inpatienttreatment centerwhere I made friends with a bunch of other people whose lives, like mine, you had wrecked. We bonded over and shared stories about what you’d done, what you’d made us do. If you write your letter as part of an addiction treatment group or in a counseling session, you may be able to share it with others. Doing so can help you relate to others suffering from drug abuse and help you realize you are not alone.

Simone Meyer – A Letter to My Addiction

Remind yourself that you can do this, and that drugs and alcohol do not need to control your life. These same words may stop you from relapsing later on. Addiction recovery is a big step; when you stumble, it is tempting to just give up. When you focus on writing about why you decided to get sober, it will reinforce these reasons. You can write about how you knew you hit rock bottom and needed help. You can also write about the secondary problems that came about because of your substance abuse issues and why you want to change them. When my father died, I felt terrible pain and remorse. I wanted to pick up the phone and call him, but I knew I couldn’t. I wanted to one last time, for old times’ sake, but I couldn’t. I flashed back to all the good times, but they were not to be anymore.

Robin accepted her role at Cumberland Heights in 2006. Noelle achieved so much professionally while she was dealing the consequences of her drinking. We celebrate Noelle who is rocking her recovery letter to my addiction journey Things aren’t going well. Someone said something to you or did something and you feel hurt, they touched a wound. Now there’s a poison and it begins flowing through you to others.

Drew Bickford – A Letter to My Addiction

Like a box of old photos, this letter can provide a portal to the past without occupying an overwhelming mental burden for the recovering individual. When it is time to be reminded of these memories, the letter serves as a time capsule, preserved in a non-central space — both cognitively and physically. At other times, when these reminders can feel overwhelming, they are out of sight and out of mind. The Amethyst Recovery Center Editorial team is comprised of individuals who are passionate about addiction recovery. We hope to contribute to the recovery journey through personal stories, insights, and informational content pieces. There is a saying that the hardest thing to do in life is to say goodbye.