I Will Always Be An Addict

I got an e-mail last night while I was sleeping. I’m not going to say who it was but it stuck me as poignant. This person ended the e-mail with this…

“No dip now for xxx days. Sunday will be day xxx. I know I won’t be chewing anymore, I don’t need it and it doesn’t need me.”

I don’t know the intentions of the author. But the first thing I thought of was overconfidence. This may not be the case, only the author would know for sure. No matter the intentions, I thought what I am about to say is useful for all of us to hear.

I think alcoholics have the best view on addiction. It is the view I have been taking since the early days of my quit. I pulled the following paragraph out of the “A Brief Guide to Alcoholics Anonymous” on www.aa.org:

A.A. members say that they are alcoholics today — even when they have not had a drink for many years. They do not say that they are “cured.” Once people have lost their ability to control their drinking, they can never again be sure of drinking safely — or, in other words, they can never become “former alcoholics” or ex-alcoholics.” But in A.A., they can become sober alcoholics, recovered alcoholics.

Alcoholics are no different than nicotine addicts, just with a different drug. I will always be an addict. I will be a nicotine addict until the day I die, whether or not I am actively using tobacco or not.

I have heard stories of HOFers caving. The stories usually go “I thought I could handle just one”

So, be proud of your accomplishments. Be confident you can succeed. But don’t ever get to the point that you let your guard down. That’s when the “well one can’t hurt me” thoughts will creep into your head. One day at a time….for the rest of our lives.

Keep strong everyone.

NOTE: This piece written by KillTheCan.org forum member WildWildBil