Hi, I'm a student nurse and I have been doing some research into treatment for drug/alcohol abuse - we get all this information about what alcohol and drugs do to your body... but I wanted to know what life is really like when you're addicted to something? What does it do to your soul? How does it affect your every day life? What about relationships?
I know this is really personal stuff but if anyone could share anything...
thanks
my bad
Hey Smileygirl,
To answer all the aspects of your question would take quite awhile because it does become such an involved aspect in ones life. Even the reasons for beginning can vary so much. And noone really expects it to become so life consuming. Even if your a functioning addict as i was for over 15 years it eventually gets out of control as mine did for an additional 5 yrs. ( very long : binges )And it wrecks havoc every where and with everyone thought we are blindedto it and then become to hopeless and helpless to change it nor matter how bad the desperation can be. Addiction is not a respector of people. You have your white collar addicts and your street addicts but whether the white collor wants to admit it he/she is still an addict. No better than any other. And at least you know where you stand with a street addict. It's the " upstanding ones" you got to be careful of Do I sound bias? I've been on both sides of the fence and we're all just hurting souls in search of filling lifes voids.Intellegence doesn't help. Very intellegent folks think their too smart for the addictions to snag them.
Like I said in the beginning it gets very complicated. Good luck with your research.
To answer all the aspects of your question would take quite awhile because it does become such an involved aspect in ones life. Even the reasons for beginning can vary so much. And noone really expects it to become so life consuming. Even if your a functioning addict as i was for over 15 years it eventually gets out of control as mine did for an additional 5 yrs. ( very long : binges )And it wrecks havoc every where and with everyone thought we are blindedto it and then become to hopeless and helpless to change it nor matter how bad the desperation can be. Addiction is not a respector of people. You have your white collar addicts and your street addicts but whether the white collor wants to admit it he/she is still an addict. No better than any other. And at least you know where you stand with a street addict. It's the " upstanding ones" you got to be careful of Do I sound bias? I've been on both sides of the fence and we're all just hurting souls in search of filling lifes voids.Intellegence doesn't help. Very intellegent folks think their too smart for the addictions to snag them.
Like I said in the beginning it gets very complicated. Good luck with your research.
IT IS A LIVING HELL.
Hello enlightened;
For some reason I sense you are truly interested in hearing what is said to reply to your great post. I will be equally anxious to read what others say here.
Best of luck and I hope what I offer helps too in some way.
I promise my replys will be blunt & honest as I can be. . . .
First of all let me say, "being an addict to any drugs and/or alcohol is living in a hellish environment". Getting "Clean and Sober" is also like living in the very worst place anyone could ever be in. But the joy of getting to clean and sober is better than I could hope to explain here. I know as I have been off alcohol for
close to 25 years (notice I didn't claim being sober) no pot for 5plus years and because of the pain I am in still take pain medications, yet I don't abuse them like I did 8, 10 years ago.
If I may just throw a few quick tips out there that I now live by . . . . .
first is
For some reason I sense you are truly interested in hearing what is said to reply to your great post. I will be equally anxious to read what others say here.
Best of luck and I hope what I offer helps too in some way.
I promise my replys will be blunt & honest as I can be. . . .
First of all let me say, "being an addict to any drugs and/or alcohol is living in a hellish environment". Getting "Clean and Sober" is also like living in the very worst place anyone could ever be in. But the joy of getting to clean and sober is better than I could hope to explain here. I know as I have been off alcohol for
close to 25 years (notice I didn't claim being sober) no pot for 5plus years and because of the pain I am in still take pain medications, yet I don't abuse them like I did 8, 10 years ago.
If I may just throw a few quick tips out there that I now live by . . . . .
first is
Honestly... it really sucks and it never goes away. I have been clean from hydrocodone for a year now. The cravings don't ever truly go away. I have to take motrin for surgery that i am having on Monday (wisdom tooth extraction). Man, tell me that doesn't suck... lol! If your interested you can read on the success stories board... you'll find my story there. Like you, i have been to nursing school... threw it all away 3 days before graduation. Yeah, that's what addiction did to me. I am better now... but as someone said above, it's a living hell when you are in the midst of it. But, by the grace of God... and only the grace of God I am clean today.
Love and God Bless,
Bri :)
Love and God Bless,
Bri :)
All ya gotta do is cruise around all the posts on all the boards and youll have enuff material to answear all your questions
peace,
jack
peace,
jack
Your soul seems non-existent. Your life is put on hold. Your relationships get ruined. You bring everyone around you down, and care less when they beg, cry, and plead for you to get help.
Nothing is more important, and I mean nothing than scoring your drug of choice. Then when you get it you have to worry about how you're going to get your next hit/fix/shot.
Addiction of any kind is rough, but drug addiction is a full time job. From the morning to the evening it encompasses you, and anyone getting in your way will have hell to pay. It's not glamourous or fun. It'll eat you alive, and bring you places you never knew existed. Nothing is taboo or sacred when it comes to your drug, and the ol' "I'll never get that bad, and I'll NEVER do that" it more than always winds up you're right out there like every other addict.
Best wishes on your nursing career. It's important to have sympathetic people to care for addicts when they are ready to get better. Human kindness is more important than all the book knowledge any nurse can obtain.
Nothing is more important, and I mean nothing than scoring your drug of choice. Then when you get it you have to worry about how you're going to get your next hit/fix/shot.
Addiction of any kind is rough, but drug addiction is a full time job. From the morning to the evening it encompasses you, and anyone getting in your way will have hell to pay. It's not glamourous or fun. It'll eat you alive, and bring you places you never knew existed. Nothing is taboo or sacred when it comes to your drug, and the ol' "I'll never get that bad, and I'll NEVER do that" it more than always winds up you're right out there like every other addict.
Best wishes on your nursing career. It's important to have sympathetic people to care for addicts when they are ready to get better. Human kindness is more important than all the book knowledge any nurse can obtain.
