Who Is That Person Trying to Get You to Use Again?

Genuine friends will recognize your addiction and encourage you to get help. They will never try to get you to use again. And you won't have to worry about them being skeptical or bringing up any of your other failed attempts to dry out.

Though these friends may see you fall off the determination, while trying to get clean, they will always encourage you.

"You fell more times than that when you were learning how to walk. So don't beat yourself up when you fall trying other things in life."

Addicts wanting to stop using always have that one co-user who encourages them to continue on the same path, saying things like, "Look at me. I've been doing this for years, and I know I'm not an addict!"  They sound like a fool.

However, that's the creed of a serious addict, and serious addicts love what they do. They're addicted to what they do, that's why they're called addicts. Therefore, they don't want anyone in their circle contradicting their gettin'-high routine.

If you're part of a circle of addiction, the unspoken rule is you either get high or you get out'--no middle ground. In other words, when you decide to get clean, don't expect the people in your circle of addiction to get excited and cheer you on. Won't happen.

There may be one person out of every 20 addicts who tell you "Go ahead. Get clean because this will eventually kill you." 

But make no mistake, addiction breeds co-users, not friends...just people who have getting high in common. Addicts like each other, but they like each other better high.

Another set of friends

As you frequent or frequented your favorite spots, where everybody in the room share the same misery, another set of friends...genuine friends...watch you from a distance.

They shake their heads in fearful pain, praying silently that you are not the overdose victim that sirens in the distance are approaching to rescue.

These friends have faith in you and see the good things in you that are hidden by your addiction. They're patiently waiting for you to have faith in yourself.

When you see them, you're reminded that being an addict is not your only option, but something you chose because you had fun doing it at first. Then it became an iron clasp around your neck, pulling you further and further away from who you are.

Breaking free from addiction takes more than you ever imagined. Successfully completing your rehab program gives you another chance at a vibrant life. Do you really want to throw it away and go back into that dark hole you just crawled out of?

Choose people who will be in your life after rehab wisely. It means the difference between living a healthy and successful life and dying prematurely of an overdose or substance related ailments.

That person who tries to get you to use again

• They try to convince you that you don't have a substance abuse problem, that 'you're just doing your own thing'
• They make you feel guilty for turning on them and not being a true friend, saying things like, "After all I've done for you." and "You were never my friend."
• They speak negatively about rehab programs, calling them 'nothing more than scams put together to get your money.'
• They pull up a joint, some liquor or other drugs in front of you, hoping to entice you to use, though they know you're fresh out of rehab.
• They tell you things like, "You'll miss it and come back to reality. Everybody does. You're just taking a break." 
• When nudging at your will power doesn't work, they resort to tearing you down, calling you names to make you feel useless and no better than when you started rehab.

To the circle of addiction, a recovering addict from their circle is a traitor. He or she becomes the enemy. They know all the getting-high spots, as well as all the dealers. Angry circles even believe recovering addicts become drug informants.

Some individuals in recovery are encouraged to relocate to nearby cities and towns--however, not too far away from the support of loved ones. They get to create a new life with new, positive and pleasant neighbors and can continue weekly meetings with their support group.

On the other hand, relocating is not the best thing for others who rely extensively on emotional support from family. Deciding where to live after rehab treatment is a choice one makes after needs are identified. Each individual is different and require distinct levels of emotional and psychological support.

As for that person trying to get you to use again, they are usually people you know, who are familiar with your substance abuse history. This is a person who enjoys seeing you at your lowest--most likely a get-high partner. 

Given human nature, we cannot rule out an individual who simply wants to feel big by making someone else look and feel small. It happens. The ugliness of human nature is at the core of most (if not all) of society's ills.

What every recovering addict should know is simple. Anyone who tries to get you to use again, after you have successfully completed a rehab stint, does not care about your wellbeing.

They want you to use again because they use. You want to be your best self, they don't. They don't have a desire to do better, you do. If you're not influencing them, they're influencing you.

You have to make the hard choice to sever ties with any individual who tries to reverse the progress you make toward controlling your addiction. If they can use you to show that rehab is a waste of time, they can justify not getting the help they need for their own addiction.

Who is that person trying to get you to use again?

Copyright © 2016 by Peggy Hatchet James