TRY THIS IF YOU WISH TO BE DRUG FREE

"You probably know all there is to know about Drug Dependence and you know how stupid a man  feels when he throws away a regular income because he stayed away from his job for more than three days especially when he has been working there for many years.

But feeling sorry for yourself isn’t going to get you back that job neither is saying to hell with all that going to give you a guaranteed regular income , a severance pay when you retire or a pension for life from your investments or at least the National Insurance Board."

THERE IS HOPE FOR RECOVERY

Ever notice how people always say "things going good, man"! Or "I alright"?

Unless a person is a noted complainer this is usually how he or she will respond to queries about his well-being. What this tells me is that we always want the best for ourselves, which is why the alcoholic will claim to drink a little now and then, or the addict will deny that he or she spent days in a cocaine den, or the gambler would hardly boast of the amount he lost but always on the amount he won.

For change to take place you need to visualize the kind of person you would like to become, the kind of life you wish to live, and the steps you plan to take to achieve this goal.

One phrase that can ensure your success is “Easy does it”.

Those who have succumbed to the disease of addiction must come to accept that recovery is their personal responsibility and every effort should be made to follow a rigorous post-treatment recovery plan as hoping for a miraculous cure because of medical or psychiatric intervention will just not happen.

WHY SOME PEOPLE RELAPSE

"When a person uses drugs over a period of time, the body becomes unable to completely eliminate them all.

Drugs are broken down in the liver. These metabolites, (the substances the body converts the drugs into) although removed rapidly from the blood stream, become trapped in the fatty tissues.

There are various types of tissues that are high in fat content, the one thing in common – and the problem that needs to be addressed – is that these drug residues remain for years.

Tissues in our bodies that are high in fats are turned over very slowly. When they are turned over, the stored drug metabolites are released into the blood stream and reactivate the same brain centers as if the person actually took the drug.

The former addict now experiences a drug re-stimulation (or “flashback”) and drug craving. This is common in the months after an addict quits and can continue to occur for years, even decades."

( extract from a U.S. Publication)

The only solution is for the individual   to admit that he or she is sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Having said that, I believe that God gave each of us the power of free choice and that life’s decisions ought to be based on prayer, rational thought, wisdom and experience; and that the wrong motivation can lead to eventual disaster notwithstanding the external trappings of success. 

Recovery is possible and there are many  individuals who have successfully overcome an addictive personality disorder and are today functioning at their highest levels.

Once you can find it in yourself to be honest enough to recognize that you do have a serious problem and are determined to deal with it then you will be able to solve it.

There are several things you can do immediately  some of which are stated here:

• I will keep from feeling Hungry. You can do this by having a snack available at all times. Biscuits will do.
• I will hold off on my Anger. Anger has a way of making you do a lot of nonsense, so keep talking to yourself on this one.
• I will try not to feel Lonely. That is why group meetings are so important, as you will have the companionship and even friendship of those who have the same goal of recovery as you do.
• I will avoid being too Tired. Experience has shown that just like anger, tiredness can be the trigger for you to fail at your resolve.

This is your recovery and no one else and not all advice from family and friends may be wise because “there is a way that seemeth right unto man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death”.

• From today begin an exercise program. Walking for at least a half hour every day at a pace that is brisk yet comfortable for you will give you that self confidence to succeed at your recovery.

• Have your blood pressure tested and if you need to your doctor can help you regulate it so you do not fall prey to a stroke or a heart attack.

• Take some time out each day for yourself by writing a poem, or a song, paint a picture, read a book, weed the yard, clean a room, make a bench, paint the home, go to a meeting.

It is by attraction i.e. others seeing the change in you, and not by promotion i.e. boasting that you have changed, which will cause others to believe that you are in recovery.

Those who have recovered have one thing in common, the indisputable knowledge and belief that they have already been justified by God, and so do not need justification or the approval of others.

This attitude is essential because of the constant pressures you will face during early recovery from persons not mature enough to accept you for who you are and what you are trying to do, and not who they believe you ought to have been.

It is unreasonable to expect others to believe that you can change overnight and you need to remind yourself of the many times you have failed to keep your own promises and the number of times you have said I’m sorry as others will also be remembering those times.

We all want our lives to be improved in some way, and I am sure you do as well. If you do then perhaps the time has come for you to be as brutally honest with yourself as you possibly can, and if you have been wrong to admit that you were.

You do want your life to improve, don’t you? Then believe that recovery is possible and it will be.

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Eric Ribeiro is the Founder of The Family Resource Centre T&T. He is a former EAP Administrator in the Public Service and Local Government Representative.