Addiction can happen to anyone
 

Hello all! I get an on-line recovery / addiction magazine every month. The on-line subscription is free and it frequently contains useful scientific articles and moving or inspirational writing on the topic of addiction and recovery.

Thesoberworld.com Magazine

Published by Patricia in memory of her son Steven who relapsed and died of a drug overdose after being clean for 8 months.

This short article was published in the January 2016 issue, I have been meaning to repost it here and am finally getting around to it.

"ADDICTION CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE" by Sandy Swenson

"Before my son was an addict, he was a child.

My child.

But he could have been anyone's child. He could have been - or might yet be - yours.

Until the troubles started, I never thought my child would become an addict. It never crossed my mind.

Until one day it did.

Before my son was an addict, he liked to fish and camp; he was an Eagle Scout and a rescue diver; he built a playground for orphans in India, he wanted to be a marine biologist, and he was awarded scholarships from several colleges.

He also sometimes lied and said things that were mean and sulked and was crabby; in other words, Joey was perfectly normal.

There's a widely held belief that addicts are bad people, but the truth is, addiction is not an issue for moral judgement. Addiction has nothing whatsoever to do with whether a person is nice, or the quality of their character, or the strength of their will.

Addiction is a disease. Scientific research has proven this; the addited brain exhibits measurable changes - this is fact. And, most addiction begins in adolescence, strongly enticed by popular culture.

Addiction begins where dalliance - or doctors orders - becomes disease. It can happen to anyone who has taken a sip or puff or snort - or even a pill prescribed for pain.

Even though my son had done some bad things while being an addict, my son is not a bad person. He is a sick person. When addiction scooped up my child, it did so indiscriminately; Joey, at his core, is one of the least bad people I know.

Before my son was an addict, I used to judge the dusty addict on the corner very harshly. But now I know that being an addict isn't something anyone would choose.

Now I know that the addict on the corner has been my sweet child - and could someday be yours. I wish I hadn't waited for the worst to happen before I opened my eyes and heart. Before I looked beneath the addict's dust to the person he was meant to be. To the person my child could just as easily have become - and did.

Before my son was an addict, he was a child. Not a monster.

Addiction can happen to anyone."

Sandy Swenson is the mother of two sons - one of whom is an alcoholic and drug addict. "The Joey Song" chronicles her journey through the place where love and addiction meet.

I certainly could not have said this any better myself.

Keep coming back,

Jim

That touched my heart, Jim. She's right, that addict could be my son or yours or anyone's, and before they were addicts they were our children.

My son has been missing many years, lost in his addiction somewhere, but through these years I have gone full circle and returned from a life of fear and anger and frustration at his addiction and trying to save him, back to a life of peace where I choose to keep the memory of my son as he was before addiction stole his soul.

Before he was an addict, my son was a child too.

Thanks Jim, I need to remember that today.

Hugs