by: Debbie Wicker

Dear Vince,

Addiction often creeps up on us and catches us by surprise. What used to be fun and exciting now has become miserable and depressing.

We used to go out and party and “get high” and we loved it and loved all the people we were doing it with. Then, suddenly, we have the disease of addiction and we start doing things to get high that we NEVER imagined we’d do.

It’s like we’re caught in a trap and we have absolutely no idea how to get out of it. We have no job, no money and we’ve alienated everyone who truly loves us and so we feel we can’t go to them for help.

If this is the situation you’re in I recommend you start by going to AA or NA meetings in your area. Start working the 12 steps.

Step 1:

We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol and drugs–that our lives had become unmanageable.

Based on your question this sounds like where you are at. So go to meetings where they are working the 12 steps and begin to learn about yourself and your addiction. Begin the process of internal change that is necessary to end your dependence and get out of the trap that you’re in.

Many people try to do it themselves and almost always fail. The “we”-ness of recovery is so critical to successfully navigating our way back to sanity. We need the support of others who have been we’re we are at now to help us learn what we must do to end our addiction for good.

If you’re asking for help for a friend the same thing applies to them. Help them to find meetings where they are working the steps and help them go to those meetings. I would recommend 90 meetings in 90 days. Going to meetings everyday can be VERY effective! It often can replace using and allows us to stay sober.

It also may be necessary to go to a doctor to get medical support for detoxification. Detox from alcohol and many other drugs can be fatal, so it’s always a good idea to get the medical support necessary to safely withdraw from drugs.

Hope this is helpful and please consider working the 12 steps,

Debbie