No matter if you are an addict, an alcoholic or you havent used in years, they say you are always an "
addict" or "
alcoholic". Here is my problem with this.....
Should we
REALLY give ourselves this label and give the addiction this extra power to overcome us?
As some of you know, I am working on quitting my C addiction. I am working on it to the letter with every possible angle covered. One important angle is
HOW I SEE MYSELF AFTER MY LAST USE OF THE DRUG! I believe HOW we see things in life is VERY important.
HERE IS THE DEBATE
Once I quit, do I.... A. Look at the drug like it has
NO power and turn my back on it (yet still respecting its power to a degree). This way should let me percieve the drug as something
LESS powerful and very beatable. I believe
PERCEPTION is everything. If I see this drug as SMALL, I will believe the same. When I boxed, if a person was hurt and I suddenly them as weak and not a threat, my confidence would skyrocket and I would see them as easily beatable. If I considered all my opponents supermen, I would be afraid to throw many punches and fear would paralize me to the point of submission (or in this case, RELAPSE).
SHOULDNT WE SEE OUR ADDICTION THE SAME? Now here is the other side of the coin...
B. Do I consider myself a life long addict that is powerless to this drug and attend meetings? This may give the addiction and drug a power level that I feel is NOT beatable BUT the positive side of this is I will respect the power is DID have over me knowing how hard it kept me down and how much it damaged me so I am ALWAYS aware that I MUST resist.
Fear
CAN be a good thing in some cases
BUT Fear can protect us or
IMMOBILIZE us.
Is Fear
good Here? Should our addiction be the monster we "think" is under our bed or is the monster REALLY there in this situation? Should we stay up up all night terrified or should we KNOW that there is no such thing as monsters and find peace with that belief?
Should we give the Drugs and Alcohol immense (power / respect / fear) by saying we are forever addicts and alcoholics?
OR
See them as Powerless so you
CAN walk away easier.
All too often we give in when we feel we are up against un beatable odds. When we see a problem as fading, we race in and beat it. Should this apply here?
WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?
Thank you! Rob