Inspiring stories of personal triumph over addiction
Breaking the addictions of our friends and loved ones can be heartbreaking and difficult to watch. When we get our hands on a substance or a dangerous hobby, we want to stop their addiction before it takes control of their life, but there are often difficult barriers preventing that. With little hope for the future, addicts may feel like they have nothing left to live for. That is until someone else helps them find inspiration in their life once more.
A friend's addiction can sometimes be easier to understand than that of someone we love. It is easy to see their problems for what they are, but when we love someone, we may feel like it is our duty to deal with their addiction and make them stop. Our loved ones' addictions may be more personal and damaging for us, so our perception of them as individuals changes. When a friend or loved one is struggling with an addiction, it can be difficult not to take the blame for their problems. We want to help fix their problem so badly that we take on the burden in addition to our own and as a result, lose some of ourselves in the process.
When we try and help an addict, it can be easy to put all their problems on them. We can feel like we are trying to manipulate them into seeing the light, but that isn't the best way to help them. By giving them space and letting go of their problem, hopefully they will find inspiration in themselves and stop harming their body.
It is a very difficult process to watch an addiction destroy someone you love. Most people have no clue how they will ever get out of the vicious cycle of addiction until they find someone who makes the effort to save them. It is not our job to save addicts from their problems, but it is our job to help them find inspiration in their own lives. When an addict seems hopeless and has all but given up on life, sometimes all they need is someone else to believe in them, so they can start believing in themselves again.
Each one of us is a special person with a unique set of skills and talents. Sometimes when we are consumed by addiction, we lose the belief that we can accomplish anything with our lives. We get stuck deep inside ourselves and forget how much we have going for us. When we have the chance to put our pasts behind us and focus on what's in front of us, we can change our futures. We don't have to be an addict to be inspired, but sometimes it is just more important for us to realize if we want help from others.
Though it may be difficult for some people to believe, there are plenty of inspiring stories about people who overcame their addictions and found themselves again. Some people who have received help from others managed to find inspiration in their lives once more and began changing their fates. Everyone has a story that could possibly inspire someone else, so no one should ever lose hope in themselves or what they are capable of doing with their lives.
There are plenty of stories out there about people who overcame addiction and found themselves again. Though it may be difficult to find inspiration in the person addicted to drugs, alcohol, or another addiction, there is always a seed of hope that they have the potential to change their lives for the better. If you know someone struggling with an addiction, take care of yourself and give them space to make their own choices. In time they will find hope in themselves again so they can create a new life for themselves.
How I helped my friend overcome his alcohol addiction
By: Frank Martin - Published: February 14th 2013 - Source: http://www.scoreboardsportsnetwork.com
Frank Martin was a 23-year-old college student who had started drinking alcohol heavily after being handed the responsibilities of becoming a father at age 19. Though he was not an alcoholic, he was struggling with the demands of his new life. He has felt as though there are too many things to do in a short amount of time and he could no longer afford to drink beer everyday. He would wake up and immediately grab a cup of coffee so his day wouldn't be ruined by having to go through withdrawal the moment he woke up. Even with this, he wasn't getting much done on his daily tasks.
In the summer of 2011, Martin moved to a town where he knew no one and started to wonder why he was doing so much with his life. He felt as though he was missing out on a lot of opportunities because he was too busy trying to do everything at once.
However, instead of making changes to his lifestyle, Martin decided to rely on alcohol to remove the stress from his life. He would stop by the liquor store every day after work and pick up a bottle or two of wine. In the beginning, he would drink it himself but soon realized that drinking alone wasn't very enjoyable. He began to drink in front of his roommates every day and even invited them to join him when they weren't home.
He thought drinking in front of them would make it more enjoyable, but after a while his roommates realized that he was an alcoholic and were concerned about what he might be doing when he was drinking alone. They wanted a change for their friend but didn't want to accuse him of being an alcoholic. Martin began planning how he could hide his problem with alcohol and continued to drink without anyone knowing about it. He started giving up alcohol for one day per week and as time went on, the amount of days decreased until he stopped completely for good.
Martin went to a therapist and discussed his lifestyle with him. The therapist suggested that he cut back on the amount of alcohol he was consuming and asked him if he would be interested in helping others make the same decision. Martin took the advice to heart and began writing down how his friends might be able to relate to his experience with alcoholism. He decided to get involved with an Alcoholics Anonymous group and talk about how drinking can lead one down a path where their life becomes unmanageable.
Martin focused on what alcohol did for him before he had become involved in AA meetings, such as making it easier for him to socialize with his friends.
Conclusion
Alcohol didn't take away the stress of being a father and it doesn't remove the stress from any lifestyle. People who drink alcohol to get rid of their stress might have a hard time finding inspiration in their lives, but that's what it takes to help them overcome their addictions. The first step is understanding what someone is going through when they are addicted to something before they can find inspiration in themselves for a change. Those struggling with addiction usually need help recognizing what they need to do to overcome the problem, so other people need to be there for them with the support they need.