Brand new and need advice

Hello all,

I haven't given an update in a month... and that's good news. No news is good news, right? Smile

I wanted to keep the people who responded updated - those who responded were so helpful, when Tom was in the midst of his battles with addiction.

Tom is still doing very well. He faithfully remains clean and determined. He's still taking 2 mg Subox per day, and - even though he still doesn't like taking it, because he still believes that having to take suboxone shows he's "weak"... he knows that he must take it. And he does.

Also... Tom has realized that he - like all of us - has a God-shaped vacuum, that only He can fill. He has entered into a relationship with the living God, and has found peace and contentment - to an extent, given this life's tribulations - with the Lord. His new found faith has shown him that this relationship is what gives us meaning to life. It gives us something to live for, not the narcisstic self-pleasing tendencies of youth. I had the privilege of sharing my faith with him, and I thank God for that, every day.

So, thank you, everyone that helped get him clean. I truly pray that God bless you all, for the gift of wisdom, sharing and comfort you gave him as he struggled with his addiction.

JT314

Thank you for the update jt! I'm so glad Tom is doing so much better! What a wonderful friend you are to him!
Getting into recovery from addiction is really difficult and is a long and winding road for most of us. Even with the Suboxone to help (which it does greatly) there is still so much to be done in terms of getting and staying better. I agree with you wholeheartedly that faith/spirituality/belief systems are invaluable in this process! I do believe that there is that proverbial 'God-sized' hole in most of us addicts that must be filled in order to go on with our lives as addicts in recovery. There are many who vehemtly disagree with me on the issue, but I stand by my belief that the one true God is the only entity who is powerful enough, loving enough, forgiving enough, and consistently full of grace and redemption enough to bring me back to wholeness. I believe that the reason I fell into addiction in the first place was largely because I had allowed myself to drift so far away from a daily relationship with God.
Now, I am not suggesting that there is no hope for recovery for anyone who isn't a Christian.....not at all. That would be ridiculous! I will suggest that most addicts in recovery must surely have the need for some form of spirituality or belief in some force that is of help to them.....some kind of practice that addresses that part of us that goes beyond the physical anyway. That's just my humble opinion and I'm no better than anyone else.
I'm just thrilled for your friend...that he has found recovery and a relationship with God. I pray he continues on this positive path that you have played a big role in placing before him. You're a good friend indeed!
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You can't undo anything you've already done, but you can face up to it. You can tell the truth. You can seek forgiveness. And then let God do the rest.