3/4/2010
If you are reading this, chances are you’re in pain – either as someone struggling with chemical dependency or as the loved one of someone who is. At Cumberland Heights, we understand the pain. Many of us have been there. And we know that making the decision to seek treatment is not an easy one. In fact, the very nature of addiction makes it difficult to even recognize that there is a problem.
In many cases, addiction creeps up slowly. Imagine someone sneaking into your room each day and putting an ounce of lead into your jacket pocket. Over time, your jacket grows heavier and heavier, but the daily change is so subtle, you don’t even notice – until you take the jacket off. That’s what addiction is like. Unfortunately, most addicts don’t shed the lead until they hit bottom and get help.
If you’re the loved one of an addict, you may feel just as frustrated and weighed down. We often hear family members say, “If he really loved us, he would stop drinking/using.”
This is a myth. Love cannot stop someone from drinking or using. But it can inspire an addict to get help. It can also inspire family members to seek recovery through the process of intervention.
Addiction is an all-consuming, destructive and progressive illness. But there is hope. And we can help. It is possible to shed the lead jacket and regain your lift. At Cumberland Heights, we treat the whole person using the principles of the Twelve Steps. And we include the entire family in the recovery process, because addiction is a family disease.
The very nature of addiction makes it difficult to even recognize that there is a problem.