To love a drug addict you must run out of tears

Being a drug addict isn’t nearly as bad as being sober and loving a drug addict. Whether it is family, friends, or spouse. Nothing will screw you up more than being associated with a drug addict. You can’t save them, but they sure as hell can destroy you. They steal your smile, happiness, and everything in between. Addiction is a devastating disease that affects not just the addict, but the addict’s loved ones as well. Living and dealing with a drug addict is a painful experience that can have long-lasting emotional, behavioral and financial consequences on those involved with the addict. The best way to avoid these consequences is to encourage the addict to seek treatment before his or her disease destroys the family. But what do you do if this already happened? This, of course, is easier said than done, and until then you must learn how to live and deal with a drug addict and learn when to walk away. I have had the strength to deal with a drug addict for a very long time and it is time that I release some tips because I know I am not the only person who has been here in this situation and I can’t be the only one going through this now.

Dealing with a drug addict is very emotionally draining and very time consuming. Make time to do things away from the addict and return the focus to positive things in your life. Don’t let your loved one’s addiction become the focus of your life. It is really hard to do this because you always get caught up in it.
Don’t enable the addict. Oftentimes addiction creates codependent relationships in which family members or partners lie for and cover up for the addict. You may think this is helping the addict, but it is only enabling their addiction. Make it clear that you are no longer willing to be a part of your loved one’s addiction. In doing so, protect your money. Feeding an addiction is very expensive, and many addicts will do whatever it takes. Lie, cheat, steal their way to their next high.

Don’t accept abusive behavior. Addiction is not an excuse for physical violence or emotional abuse. If your loved one is dangerous to live with, get out and stay out until sobriety is achieved for a marked amount of time. Stay strong because tough times never last, tough people do. Now, just keep your head up cause God gave you a backbone for a reason. Don’t keep things bottled up for too long, or else you’ll end up like me. Writing to herself in a blog begging herself to take her own advice and walk away.