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Old 08-14-2007, 11:07 AM
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just for today
Survivor
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 149
Addicted to the Addict?

Addicted to the Addict?

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Heres some questions to ask yourself if you are addicted to a relationship:

If your only justification for staying in an unhealthy relationship, be it abusive or with an addict, is "because I love him/her," you're not in love, you are addicted.

If the best interests of your addict partner or the relationship comes first, above and beyond the best interests of yourself or your children, you're not in love, you are addicted.

If you cover up and lie for your partners behavior, you're not in love, you're addicted.

If you know in your heart that the healthy thing to do is leave, but you stay anyway, you're not in love, you're addicted.

If you've read this section several times with a sinking feeling in your soul and are promising yourself that you're going to do something about it "if things don't change or get better", you're not in love, you're addicted.

--If you're in a relationship that involves abuse or drug abuse and can't bring yourself to leave because you think you love the person who is abusing you or drugs, you need to consider the distinct possibility that you're not in love, you're in the grip of a serious addiction and need every bit of as much urgent, radical, possibly lifesaving help as any other addict. In some ways, addiction to an abusive person is even tougher to break than addiction to a substance.

Theres no rational way to romanticize substance abuse, someone who's addicted to an addict can come up with countless ways to romanticize their determination to hang in there and refuse to leave. Strong addiction, after all, can feel like profound love. Need and dependence can feel like passion.

If it turns out that yes you are addicted, PLEASE accept the fact that just like any victim of substance abuse, you have an illness and you need every bit as much urgent professional care as any other addict. Don't waste one more minute feeling ashamed. The only shame is in not doing something about it once you've recognized it.

The best way to get away from an addict and stay away is this: The person addicted to drugs, whats his best chances of staying clean? Its to completely remove themselves from the drug, to remove themselves from ever being in a situation where the drug will be, to change their lifestyle, to keep busy so they don't think about the drug as much and not to put themselves in a situation where it would be tempting to use.
Now like any other addiction, you need to follow those rules for the person you are trying to break up with.
Of course, the only difference is that drugs will not phone you and beg for forgiveness..Drugs will not show up with flowers with promises to change..
This is where you need to be strong and do not answer any calls, or do not open your door to that person. The withdrawals at first are intense, but you need to WANT to do it and go through it in order to get over them!
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