Alcohol and Drug Recovery is getting a “shot in the arm” these days from the media, and community awareness of the help that is available is on the rise. That is the good news. Unfortunately, the bad news is that there is a severe shortage of resources and assistance to seriously address the needs created by the devastation that addiction creates.
If you believe that you are not affected by disease of addiction, you are almost certainly wrong. Addiction crushes the spirit, destroys the relationships, and takes the lives of it victims. The families and communities of its victims also pay a heavy toll. As tax-payers and members of society we are all impacted in many unseen ways. Television shows like A & E’s Intervention and VH1’s Celebrity Rehab have done much to bring various aspects of the problem to popular awareness. While the former is graphically real and emphasizes the catastrophic ways addiction hurts addict and family alike, the latter seems too focused on sensationalism.
I feel the time is right to share some of the insights and stories of hope that I have encountered in my own journey of recovery. Maybe alcoholics and addicts struggling to take that first step, or the many more family members or friends desperate for them to seek help will find the encouragement they need in my ramblings. If even one individual makes a life-changing decision to seek help it will be worth the effort. If you know of anyone needing help, I will gladly make myself available.
