Addiction sucks. When someone, something, or a place controls and limits your choices, it can feel like a prison. The sad thing is we unknowingly create those prisons for ourselves and only too late realize the cell door is closed and we are trapped inside.
How do we create our own living hell? Well sometimes we didn't create it at all. We inherited the hell created by others. As children we learn how to cope by watching our parents. Dad reaches for a beer when he comes home from work "to relax and unwind." Our mom takes a pill to help her sleep at night. Our brother lights up a joint, and our sister crams double-doubles into her mouth. We hate our lives so we use the skills we've learned from others. Addiction happens when the coping skill becomes a habit--then we're hooked. Look at how we can become addicted to things, people, and places:
What do you love...Things
Alcohol
Drugs
Weed
Porn
Food
Do you love...People
husband
boyfriend,
girlfriend
children
parents
friends
mentors
Church groups
Do you love...Places
Home
Work
Casinos
School
AA/NA Meetings
Homelessness
Therapist's office
Church
If you find you are using one or more of these items to cope, call Encouragers and get some healthy coping skills. Yes, addiction can feel like a jail cell...but the good news is you have the key! Change happens slowly through a process over time; but the decision to change happens in a moment. Addiction sucks, but living a life free from addiction is wonderful!