One of the hardest things was learning that I was worth recovery.
Demi Lovato
Some years ago I worked with a client who was in recovery from cocaine addiction. He explained that it has all started so well, with the occasional line of cocaine at the weekend, a drug which gave him the ability to party a little bit longer and drink a little bit more. He noted that it was hard to explain how it went from that to sitting alone in his kitchen in the very early hours of a Thursday morning with a line of cocaine as his only companion, his ability to function and continue working in serious jeopardy.
It struck me that this was a great analogy for any addictive behaviour. It starts so innocently, we're in control, and there is fun to be had. And suddenly, it's no longer so innocent, we're no longer in control, and it is anything but fun. It can be really hard to recognise when that shift happened, and it can be even harder to recognise that we need help.
It struck me that this was a great analogy for any addictive behaviour. It starts so innocently, we're in control, and there is fun to be had. And suddenly, it's no longer so innocent, we're no longer in control, and it is anything but fun. It can be really hard to recognise when that shift happened, and it can be even harder to recognise that we need help.
I realised that I only had two choices: I was either going to die or I was going to live, and which one did I want to do? And then I said those words, ‘I’ll get help,’ or, ‘I need help. I’ll get help.’ And my life turned around. Ridiculous for a human being to take 16 years to say, ‘I need help.'
Sir Elton John
