I can't remember how
long, but if I had to guess it’s probably been over a decade since the last
time I saw my brother. Being the youngest in a family of six, I was really
determined to make the most out of life. It's been years, but I can still
remember how my brother's life was shattered into pieces due to the wrong
decisions he made. His marital problems coupled with bad influences from
his friends pushed him into drugs and a back injury for which he was prescribed
powerful pain meds sealed his fate. I was still young then but I remember
how he suffered and how his life fall apart.
I didn’t know much
then, but I knew enough to know that it was easy for him to get into that
terrible rut but it’s very difficult to get out. He lost his job and his
family, his health deteriorated and he became emotionally and mentally
stressed. My elder siblings went out of their way to do everything they
could to help him to no avail. He needed professional help.
Sometimes, recovering from a nightmare or from an unpleasant experience brought about by drug addiction is indeed a painful task. A person in this situation may feel alone and hopeless and treatment may seem to be out of reach. He may experience setbacks and pitfalls, even discrimination on some extent but change is not impossible especially when you have the right treatment and support. Although I acknowledge the fact that the biggest leap to recovery is accepting your wrong decisions and getting yourself ready for a change, still, it cannot be discounted that reaching out for a support from the right people will definitely make a big difference. Choosing the right center that would cater to an easier road to recovery is very important. A home that provides a safe and supportive place to live during the recovery period is very vital for that big change.
On a final note, I would say that giving my brother an assurance that we will always be there for him no matter what happened is an added factor. We do make wrong decisions in life, everybody does, what is important is that as a family, we continue to work together for a common good. Love, support and understanding are so far the greatest gifts we could give to a recovering family member.
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