Welcome To An Interesting And 'Realistic' Addiction Recovery Website
Focus: Addiction Recovery and "Life after addiction"; drug abuse addiction, substance abuse addiction or anything that stands in the way of personal health and well being. There is one thing more than any other that keeps people from recovering from addictions. That one thing is fear. More specifically: Fear of the unknown.
No matter how you feel or what you think about people, life, society, religion: You're not alone and there is a community waiting to welcome you. Learn how to give what's best to yourself and enjoy your life after addiction
What Is Addiction?
Of course any attempt at defining - What Is Addiction - must be considered a work in progress. We could keep it simple for now and focus on the addict and whatever addictive substances or behavior they are addicted to. If we ever experience - "This is really making my life hard and painful, I should stop, but I just can't." - we might as well say we have an addiction - then find out what other addicts have done to recover.
It's Addictive For The Addict
Is there a physical biological difference between an addict and the non-addict? I would have to say, Yes. If we look at what is considered addictive, why doesn't anyone who uses or practices them get addicted to them? What is addictive to one person is not to another and getting to the bottom of this will be very helpful for addicts. This is all covered here but it's a lot to absorb and takes a bit of time. The first step in ending an addiction takes no understanding of addiction at all. The first step is always detox and withdrawal.
Addiction Detox
If any addict knew exactly how much physical and emotional pain was "Necessary" in the detox/recovery process most of them would get started today. The problem lies in - Not Knowing. All addicts live in fear of life without their medication. The longer the addict stays medicated the deeper the fear. I spent the majority of 35 years actively addicted. That means, taking drugs, medicating. I had a lot of fear of "A world without drugs".
Fear: Mental & Emotional Health
Here's a big problem with life under the influence of that kind of fear: You stay scared, all the time. When you're not loaded, you're scared. When you are loaded, you're scared. That kind of constant stress is really, really hard. Living in fear - without drugs - is mentally, physically and emotionally devastating. This why people give up on recovering. At the same time, for people who are using drugs life becomes a living nightmare. Sooner or later it wears us down. We quit, go insane or die.
The good news is this: Even for the long term, hard core, addict - there is a way out. I am the proof. I can tell you that the fear of a life without drugs is far worse than the reality of a life without drugs.
Whether people are in the midst of an addiction, looking for detox, dealing with early addiction recovery, or looking to get the most out of life after addiction - it all comes down to dealing with ourselves. As I remain drug free, continue to write about addiction and look at life I find it impossible not to write about things people usually don't associate with addiction.
We're All Connected
What I find is everything is connected and effects everything else. We live in a Symbiotic Interdependent Universe. My thoughts about life have an effect on your life and vise verse. There is no disconnected people or isolated condition. We can never understand addiction without understanding people, society - and life itself. So I use a holistic approach to my own addiction recovery. If you are an addict and want help you can find it here.
For more about this site, a little about me, addiction detox methods and a feel for what this website is all about go to More About Life After Addiction
You can go directly to the first chapter of the Addiction Recovery Guide
Or take a quick look around, read thoughts and essays on addiction related topics, join the forum and start a conversation, find treatment centers, specialists and other addiction help resources at the directory, contact me directly or make a quick comment
