Recovery

Substance abuse, aka addiction, is a unique disease in that you must be the one to diagnose it. What I mean by that is, if you do not identify with having a substance problem, treatment will not work. No matter what your loved ones, physician or therapist tell you, the diagnosis of addiction has to come from within in order to achieve recovery. If not, the addicted brain will work its power and find a reason to continue using. Continue reading for tools to help you identify if you have a substance problem.

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Addiction to anything is not about what or how much you use. The first step in recovery is admitting you are powerless over your addiction, and as a result, your life has become unmanageable. Powerlessness and unmanageability can come in many forms, and they can come from many sources. Bottom line – you do not have to lose anything to be an addict, and you can have a problem regardless of what the addictive substance is, how much you use it, or who you are. It doesn’t matter your age, race, intellect, socioeconomic status, or education level. The disease of addiction does not discriminate. It is an equal opportunity destroyer.

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My story of addiction has two primary messages, both of which I share with you to help decrease the stigma of this horrific disease. The first is that addiction is an equal opportunity destroyer. It can affect the doctor. The lawyer. The professor. The businessman. Your family member. YOU. It knows no political, economic, social, religious or education status. The demon of addiction can manifest in anyone – no matter who they are. The second message is best summed up by a quote from J.K. Rowling, with a Dr. D addition – “Rock bottom is simply the place you decide to stop digging, and the foundation upon which you begin to rebuild your life.”

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