Content
I am hoping this will help give me a final sense of closure, and help support other people who are struggling with substance abuse, just as I once did. I hope this gives them the hope and the motivation they need to finally seek out professional addiction treatment services. As a result, I know I have to leave you. I have tried to leave you in the past; however, every time I try to leave you behind, you simply come back stronger than ever before. I realized that the only way I could be able to leave you would be if I hit rock bottom first. The only thing is that I didn’t know exactly what rock bottom meant.
However, early on, you filled a void for me. You masked everything I hated about myself. You got me through some devastating times in my life. I very quickly began forgetting my trauma, which was what I wanted at the time. What I didn’t want was for you to completely break my spirit.
What is a Goodbye Letter to Alcohol?
It was a big part of my journey that helped me feel like I closed a chapter and took a leap into my life in recovery. Therapists say this tool is effective because it allows you to connect to your innermost thoughts and feelings that might https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/the-abstinence-violation-effect-meaning-when-recovering/ not come out in talk therapy. Second, it is a way to process your experience with addiction in a way that allows you to also accept that it is a part of your past. Recognizing those failures wasn’t enough though, my denial ran much deeper.
- For me, the most impactful part of treatment was writing a Dear John letter (aka a goodbye letter) to my drug addiction.
- Sure, there were times when I missed you when I felt weak or bored without you, but I was happy.
- The shackles you held me in and the steel rope you bound me with will not be missed.
- You sent me to the hospital more than a few times.
- Whether you are starting or are far down your recovery path, you may want to consider putting your thoughts and feelings into words.
Whenever I did something illegal for you, I would tell myself it was just one time. Maybe it was because when I was at my https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/how-to-write-a-goodbye-letter-to-addiction/ lowest points, you helped ease that pain; you gave me back a sense of control. Or at least, that’s what I thought, then.
The Tough Path to Sober Living
She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Tennessee. Butch began counseling in 1989 and worked with Cumberland Heights throughout the 90s doing Aftercare, contract work and individual counseling. Butch Glover, a state licensed and nationally certified addiction counselor, accepted his role as Chief Operations Officer in 2015. In addition to working for Cumberland Heights, Dr. Sledge is an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine.
- When I think about drugs and alcohol, I get sad.
- Our team writes content based on clinical knowledge, experience and is often supported with evidence.
- At Resurgence Behavioral Health, we offer free insurance verification to verify your benefits.
- This article discusses skills that should be learned and used by therapists when working with clients in order to effect change in the therapeutic process.
- Had I overdosed and died, you would have moved on to someone else in less than a heartbeat.
Heroin addiction can affect every part of life, including health, relationships, and employment. It can also lead to serious legal consequences such as fines or even jail time. Heroin use is dangerous because it causes immediate effects on the body that can be life-threatening if not treated properly. It’s somewhat embarrassing to admit this, but I would be lying to myself if I claimed that I did not still have feelings towards you.
Letter To Addiction: Saying Goodbye To Heroin (FAQ)
But I got into a lot of fights and I got into some legal stuff and a DUI, which definitely wasn’t fun at all. But the feeling I get looking back at using drugs and alcohol at that time wasn’t all bad, although a lot of bad stuff actually happened if I’m honest about it. A goodbye letter to drugs can often help in clearly seeing how drug addiction has been a crutch. By outlining drug abuse effects in your goodbye letter to addiction, you can create a visual for recovery. For many, cutting ties with an addiction is similar to breaking up a long-term relationship. Going through detox and addiction treatment is effective, but it’s common to enter sobriety feeling like there are unresolved issues.
- Ours was not a give-and-take relationship.
- At Resurgence Behavioral Health, we ask you to bring a journal or notebook to record your journey to sobriety.
- As good as I felt when I was with you at times, I felt terrible during others.
- They made life bearable and less painful.
- Cinde regularly trains on topics ranging from 12-step based Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Spiritual Care principles to ethical practice and clinical supervision.
- Doing so can help you relate to others suffering from drug abuse and help you realize you are not alone.
- But they knew they could focus better after a cigarette.
You wished death upon me, now I wish the same for you. Today, I choose to stop feeding you, Monster. The first step is to know that your questions and feelings are normal. The next step is to talk to someone about those feelings. Cindy Patterson accepted her role as Chief Development and Marketing Officer in 2019.
