I wasn’t sure what to write about today, so I went to Google and typed in “addict”. The first thing that popped up was this definition “Historically, addiction has been defined as physical and psychological dependence on psychoactive substances (for example alcohol, tobacco, heroin and other drugs) which cross the blood-brain barrier once ingested, temporarily altering the chemical milieu of the brain.” So basically…an addict is someone with an addiction (sorry but I have to be blunt). An addiction is some kind of dependence on something that alters the way your brain works. Now that’s being put very simply…but essentially that’s what it means.
Ok now I’m really going to throw some things out there. I am an addict. I know what you’re thinking…here I am going on about how to recover from living a life around an addict and I am one? But stay with me…I have a point I swear. Not only am I an addict…but if you’ve struggled with loving an addict…you are too.
Let’s look at love. Love makes you feel good, it makes you happy, it makes you care about someone else more than you care about yourself. Now it can also be bad. It can make you upset, it can hurt you very deeply…and it can make you think differently about a lot of things in your life. Hm. So…if you’re in love (or you love someone…for the purposes of what I’m trying to do here…it doesn’t matter if it’s family or a significant other)…you become invested in someone else’s emotions, actions, etc. What happens to them…matters to you. You become dependent. See where I’m going with this? Love can be an addiction.
As with anything (ask a doctor)…most things are good in moderation. Fat, sugar, salt…all good if you only have the recommended doses. Overload on them…and you’re looking at one unhealthy body. Love is the same thing…it can be healthy! You should love your family members, spouse, etc. That’s expected. You should love your addict. However, you have to keep not only your body healthy…but your mind and heart as well. Sometimes you have to “love from a distance”. You can care about them and want to help…but you have to be healthy yourself first. I say this a lot…just as they are responsible for their own lives and their own happiness…only YOU are responsible for YOURS. So don’t be an addict…work your own “rehab” program (*cough cough* the 12 steps). Take it from the girl still in recovery…it’s all a part of the process.
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