I’ve tried endlessly to write about Whitney Houston, addiction, and the pain felt by family members to lose someone to an addiction. I have first hand experience.
These posts that I have written over the weekend knocked my WordPress out of whack and required deletion. We can go on and on about addiction. We can go on and on and say “If only Whitney would have changed her ways”. However, with any addiction there are only two probable outcomes; rehabilitation or death. Even though Whitney said she was clean to the world, she wasn’t fooling her maker or herself.
I listened to Whitney’s song, I Look to You. It has to be one of my favorite songs as it is beautiful and rings true to many people I have in my life.
“I look to you”; those words of salvation are mentioned over and over again. However, no matter who we look up to, whomever gives us strength, and who we love, it is up to us to make the changes in our life. It is up to us, to look deep within ourselves. It is up to us to look to ourselves for salvation. It is up to us to love ourselves enough to change.
I hope that in your life’s journey, you are not struggling with an addiction. After 35 years of dealing with addiction up close and afar, the only advice that I can provide is to look to yourself. You can’t fool yourself or a higher being with excuses.
When I struggle with my own addictions in life, I think of my brother who has now passed on. He was an NHL candidate and a pure genius, his addiction took over at a very young age and got progressively worse when prescription drugs came into play. All of my life, I would question…”How will his story of addiction end?” Addiction has two roads; rehabilitation or death.
Remember there is no one we love more than our addiction. Those who you love want you to end your addiction but the addiction will hear nothing of it! Two roads; exterminate it from your life or it will take you.
- Look to yourself for strength.
- Seek the Counselling your deserve – Addictions can be part and parcel of a deeper mental health issue
- Most importantly, Love yourself
