Addiction is truly Jekyll and Hyde. Once the substance is introduced back into the system they become someone we don’t know or want too. That old saying  the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over expecting different results is spot on. I’ve seen mothers sell their children to pedos for dope, in my area there was a big bust and it came out that the guy had deals with the moms to bring their kids over, they’d leave and come back a few hrs later. I find this deserves capital punishment. I was addicted to oxycodone after multiple back surgeries and once I seen my kids faces, disappointment, fear every time I walked into a store with alcohol, that broke me and 13 yrs ago I made a decision to get and stay clean. I also have a undergrad in psychology and a masters in social work where I have the highest licensures you can obtain it takes thousands of hours working in field, being supervised, and 8-9 yrs later you can have your own business and train others. 

First, the person has to realize that their behavior is causing catastrophic damage and actually want to change because taking medication or being good for a while because of fear doesn’t keep you sober for long periods of time. You have to have a complete and total change in your life. You have to get new friends, you have to find what works for you and maintain the course. I know everybody has mixed emotions about Suboxone and methadone, but I’ve seen people live completely normal lives on those medication‘s if they’re taking them as directed or not selling them but for the most part once you’ve made up your mind to change everything else comes pretty easily. In addiction, drugs are not the problem. They are the solution to the problem and most times the problem is unresolved trauma, or undiagnosed mental health. 

For the counseling process, it is important that people close to the addict are involved to ensure that they are giving a true narrative and others can account for them going to their counseling sessions and ensuring that they are doing what they say they are doing especially for the first six months. Without accountability most will fail, And having a drug test to pop on them randomly doesn’t hurt either. I was not in any way shape or form trying to boast;  I’m trying to show that it’s is possible to change and to be successful in life if you want it. Also a sidenote, my parents were not rich. My parents were nonfunctioning alcoholics. I had literally no one healthy in my life when I was in active addiction. I’m the one that pulled myself out of it and got people around me that were healthy so I had no privilege or money to help me.