WTF? Again? Why?

These are all questions that run through my mind as I am informed of another tragic loss due to a drug overdose.

Sometimes the disease of addiction is too damn heartbreaking. So, so very sad. A young man, a father. To say he will be missed much is an understatement. He was the kind of person that though it might have been a while since you had last seen him, you knew an encounter at the gas station was due any day. He would walk up to you and give you the biggest hug, expressing an enthusiastic “I’ve missed you!” But now, we know this will not be happening. Ever again. He is gone. Taken at too young of an age.

This guy had not a mean bone in his body. I don’t think one loss due to addiction is worse than any other. When we had assumed a person was doing well in their life, it is far more difficult to understand. After all, he was a good man, a good father.  Drug addiction is no respecter of man and has no discrimination. For it is an equal opportunity offender in its truest form.

Regardless of one’s past- when you make positive changes, everyone thinks that it is all over, all good.  We can all carry on now like nothing ever happened.  This is not how recovery works.

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How can we in recovery avoid death by overdose?

Vigilance:  Watchfulness; Alertness. 

To continue to have freedom from addiction, vigilance must be practiced daily. This condition is one of which will rear its ugly head if we cease to remain alert.

Daily Contact with our Higher Power

A good spiritual connection is one of the strongest tools a person in recovery can rely upon in their toolbox.  They say seven days without prayer makes one weak. The disease of addiction is mental, physical and spiritual. Therefore, each aspect will need exercise to stay strong. Prayer is a wonderful strengthening practice. If you have not tried to do this daily, you might want to start soon.

Fellowship/Service

Helping others by suiting up and showing up. There are many people in the rooms who need to hear what you have to say. Or maybe they might need to see your smile. Either way, your presence is requested in the rooms of recovery. Be there.

Never Forget

It is good to keep the memory of your bottom in the back of your mind at all times. By remembering how lousy we felt when we first got clean, we have invested in an additional life insurance policy. None of us want to return to the extensive state of emotional turmoil in which we were living. It is when we forget that feeling that we are in danger of relapse and the (realistic) possibility of overdose.

This is but a small list of things we can do. There are several more ways to avoid the tragedy of overdose. But it’s a good start!

I know I am tired of losing good friends to the disease of addiction. Moreover, I must follow all of the above and then some so as not to break my loved ones’ hearts. We can all do this together, one day at a time. And what’s even greater, we can live this new life – filled with bliss!

Stay Blissful My Friends – E