We Addicts Have a Better Option than Death: Happiness
Happiness is one of those things some addicts want the most, but feel is the least attainable thing imaginable. When each day is a struggle, when each day is a fight to survive, there seems to be no time for happiness, nor does it seem like it’s anything within the realm of possibility to feel. Life as an addict is traumatic, hopeless, lonely, and empty, but there is hope out there—it just needs to be found and unearthed.
There’s a lot of bad news out there in regard to the drug crisis. There are mass overdoses. There are new drugs that cause even more overdoses. There’s increased crime and disease and, worst of all, the mortality rate of drug users is getting grimmer by the day.
Hidden from view are the wins and successes that addicts have once they get sober. Even though a lot of the good news is eclipsed by the bad, I have no doubt that it’s there. Those of us who work in the trenches helping get people clean see it and I wish more of the public saw these successes.
Here’s the most recent success by a Narconon Suncoast graduate:
“Narconon Suncoast gave me my life back. Before my journey into this program, I had lost who I truly was. I was a shell of a person who only wanted to feel one thing—nothing at all. I used drugs excessively to mask all feelings and experiences and to deal with the things I had been through. I was so desperately trying to bury the pain and run from my feelings, but everywhere I went, I took my problems with me. I couldn’t run from myself.
“Each step of the program played a specific role in helping to remove all of the masks I had created over the years. I slowly began to catch a glimpse of the person I once was and who I wanted to be. I wanted to be someone who was genuinely healthy and happy.
“Noticing this change sparked a fire in me and provided me with the drive to keep going and to see what was next. I worked the program with an open mind, and I was able to finally pinpoint the major underlying reasons why things in my life, including my addiction, spiraled out-of-control. Furthermore, I learned how to confront and cope with these issues in a beneficial and healthy manner so if they arose in the future, I would be well-equipped to handle them and avoid going back down this road and re-experiencing the hell that comes with it.
“I firmly believe that we, as addicts, have another choice, a better option. Happiness can be achieved and changing your life is, in fact, possible.”
“I firmly believe that we, as addicts, have another choice—a better option. Happiness can be achieved and changing your life is, in fact, possible. Narconon Suncoast gave me the opportunity to realize this and armed me with the tools needed for success.”
S.L.—Narconon Suncoast graduate