Editor: The addiction problem is a difficult problem to wrap one’s head around, especially if you are an addict. I had an addiction to alcohol. I went to A.A. and with the help of a group and a sponsor and books and meetings I have been “clean” ever since.
The years went on and I found my higher power, and 44 years later I am still an alcoholic, but I am still in recovery because one drink will start me off again and it would be as if I had never stopped drinking.
I wanted to stop because I did not want my nine-year-old son to realize that I was drunk. Maybe we all need a reason to stop doing what hurts us.
I was still smoking and all my relatives were on my case to stop. I lost two husbands to smoking-related illness – one cancer and one emphysema (COPD) – but I could not stop and then my brother told me about the Nicorette inhaler. I had just bought a carton of cigarettes but told myself I would stop after they were finished.
I was in a grocery store and right inside the door was a display of Nicorette products. There was an inhaler with capsules to use. I picked one up and put it in my basket. As soon as my carton was gone, I tried the inhaler; it was not the nicotine so much as the hand to mouth issue that had me stuck.
I had been smoking less but needed more help and my reason was I did not want to die of cancer or emphysema.
Friends laughed at me with my inhaler, but in a good way, and encouraged me to keep it up. I never touched a cigarette again and managed to throw the inhalers away after six months.
All addictions are hard to beat. Luckily, I never got into drugs and my smoking addiction was dealt with 21 years ago.
It is possible to give up all addictions, even coffee (just drink a very dark roast which has little caffeine).
I don’t know how to help those addicted to drugs. Perhaps to encourage, support and possibly give them a reason to quit.
Ignoring the problem is not the answer.
Bridget Goldsmith
Chatham
