addiction
The realities of addition; the truth about living under, above and beyond the influence of drugs and alcohol.
7 Things Recovering Addicts Wish You Wouldn’t Say
Most of us have an addict or alcoholic in our lives that we love dearly and want nothing more than to provide them with the help they need. So why do we say the things we do? The language we use when we refer to addicts and the things we say directly to them can greatly impact their self-worth and even their hope of recovering. Sometimes we may be unintentionally contributing to the stigma that keeps our loved ones sick through the words we say.
By Kailey Fitzgerald6 years ago in Psyche
Why I Walked Away from Narcotics Anonymous
I was raised in Alcoholics Anonymous. I remember vividly being in a pack and play, in the corner of the room with my best friend. Our dad's were both in the program together and they were best friends. I was raised on the 12-steps, my "family" was all of my dad's program friends and everyone was Uncle and Auntie to me. As I grew up and started experimenting with drugs and alcohol, I was welcomed into the program by everyone I knew growing up. I was praised for being "so young" and going through with the AA program.
By Robyn Zarli6 years ago in Psyche
Jamie Lee Curtis: "I Bring Sobriety With Me"
I have always admired Jamie Lee Curtis, though I'm no huge fan of the genre that got her started. I'll admit to never seeing Halloween or its sequels. I only saw bits and pieces of Blue Steel. I probably missed a good many of her more popular film roles, though a favorite film of mine continues to be True Lies.
By Christina St-Jean6 years ago in Psyche
My Personal Journey With Meth Addiction
Hi, I’m Jackie and I'm a recovering addict. The photo is of my family at exactly the time I was introduced to Methamphetamine. I've never thought back to the beginning of it all and gone through my journey step-by-step; so I am inviting you to come on this ridiculous ride with me. The good, bad, and down right ugly of it all.
By Jackie Wills6 years ago in Psyche
5 Things I Wish I Knew in Early Recovery
The first year of my sobriety seemed like a constant battle with my disease of addiction. It would tell me I wasn’t good enough or that I wouldn’t be able to stay sober. There were days that felt hopeless, but, in retrospect, those experiences all taught me important lessons that I am now grateful for. Sobriety isn’t all happiness—its difficult and its painful. On the other hand, all of those difficulties and all of that pain is 100% worth the life I have today
By Cassidy Webb6 years ago in Psyche
Substance Abuse Treatment Across the U.S.
Substance abuse is a very serious matter. One glass of wine may be harmless, until it’s not. We all like to think that ourselves and our loved ones have control over our alcohol consumption and drug usage, but unfortunately that’s not always the case.
By Pam Jannes6 years ago in Psyche
Getting Sober While Grieving My Father's Death
I was 21 when I first tried to get help for my drug problem. Only two years prior I had tried my first opiate out of curiosity, I could not fathom where taking that first pill brought me. I had gotten caught stealing from my family, and was told I must go to treatment. Without any other option, that’s what I did. I surely did not want to hurt my family anymore but I also did not think I had a big problem and treated those couple years as a bad phase. I did what I have seen a lot of people do, I went to treatment because I was in trouble, not because I was ready to change my life forever.
By Daniel Wittler6 years ago in Psyche
Hell on Earth
The truth of the matter is this is a place where; if you have ever lived here, you could very easily understand where it is I get my self-diagnosis from. Sure, I may have only lived in the area for two years at the time of writing this, and no I have not by any degree seen the very worst of what the Downtown Eastside has to offer. I do thank my lucky stars every day for that little gift. I have seen some extremely disturbing things within those two years mind you; drug use, of course, because it is rampant- overdoses, yes because they are very common, death, another thing that until I came to the downtown Eastside I had a small experience with and absolutely never, this kind of death. This is a form of death that is slow, very slow for the majority. This comes from killing oneself from within. Sure, there is always the drug overdoses that the paramedics (God bless them for the things they do down here) cannot reverse. Sometimes they just cannot get there quick enough or the drug itself was just too damn lethal in the first place. People get shot and stabbed, and they have the living hell beat out of them. There are rapes and murders and the entire gamut of the things you would see in the likes of places such as New York city or South Central Los Angeles. I know this is Vancouver, supposedly a safe and beautiful city where this kind of thing does not occur—wrong, wrong on so many levels.
By Joseph Willson6 years ago in Psyche
Gambling + Me = Bad Combination
So a little about me.. I’m 38. Live in a lovely city in England. I work in Retail and I work as a screenwriter in my spare time. Believe me, the retail job is simply to pay the bills and the debt. The writing career is yet to take off, although I’m currently working on a television series, which one day could get made.
By Lee Taylor6 years ago in Psyche
