Heya

[cuddlepie]

I just thought I would introduce myself and tell you a little about who I am and why I came here.

For some reason this site jumped right out at me as I was playing around on facebook one day. I "liked" the page and read the posts on facebook everyday.

I am not an addict myself but have many friends and family members who are addicts of all sorts of things, but the majority of them are addicted to opiates, heroin to be specific. I have worked hard to maintain relationships with them, although some have faded as drugs took complete control of their lives.

I have also lost many friends and 2 family members to opiate overdoses. Heroin has robbed me of many people who were special to me in life. I stand behind anyone fighting that drug.

Some of you may not think I should be on here as I am not an addict myself, but I am so closely affected by addiction every day of my life. I don't know what it is like to be an addcit, but have seen what addiction is, through my brother especially.

I hope to make some friends on here and have a place to find support and to vent as I need. I also would like to say to the people that are facing their addictions, I am truely proud of all of you for making the choice to change your lives.~Sherry

[Linda]

Hi Sherry,
Your voice is very important on this forum and in any other dialogue about drugs, alcohol and addiction. There is an expression that addiction is a family disease. Your experiences are real, poingant, and very much a part of the addiction picture.

An addict doesn't just exist in a vacuum, everyone around the person using is affected. Sometimes, family and friends enable the loved one in his or her abuse, sometimes not. For those family and friends of an addict, going to Alanon is helpful. Reading Codependent No More is also a wonderful book to help if you get sucked into the cycle of addiction.

Keep posting your thoughts. Your loss, your pain may just speak to an addict and push them to get help.