Is there hope for addicts? YES!

In my role as a treatment provider, the most common situation I face isn’t about any particular drug, it’s about hope. There are times when confronting an addiction seems absolutely hopeless. We watch as either we or our loved ones slip away into a dark abyss where nothing else matters but the fix. As the fix takes over, connections to what was once important fade away. However, even in the abyss, we need to hope.

While I am all to familiar with the fact that hope in and of itself can’t solve a problem, the thought of healing and of a restoration of relationships should drive our behavior towards addiction. That’s not to say we should delude ourselves. But when we face addiction, if we forgo even the thought of healing, then the abyss will win.

The fix always becomes the focal point within an addiction. Whether the fix is behavioral (as in gambling addictions) or substance-related, it will overwhelm an individual and lead to ruination. But it doesn’t have to be the only outcome. The question is, though: how do we disrupt the ruination?

There might be cases in which an addiction emerges from a single encounter with a drug, but there’s usually a process involved. Most of the time, something breaks down within a person’s world with which they can’t cope. Maybe trauma overwhelmed them, maybe an injury led to the use of an opioid. Or, maybe someone liked the feeling a drug provided but lost control. Regardless, understanding the root process is key.

Also, getting the facts about the drug or behavior involved can really empower the healing process. Certain drugs reveal certain underlying issues. For example, more often than not, someone who’s fallen into opioid addiction struggles with undiagnosed PTSD. In those cases, co-treatment of both the opioid use and the PTSD will yield positive outcomes.

Basically, learning about the the abyss can lead to healing. But hope should drive the learning and fighting. When we give up on the idea of health, then there won’t be anything upon which we can lean when things get rough. And they will. But we all can emerge from the abyss we face. It takes time, energy, and love. But almost more importantly, winning the fight needs the vision of healing. That’s where we find hope.