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WHAT MAKES AN ADDICT DECIDE TO STOP?
Let's pause here and consider why addicts decide to stop using drugs and get well. Such a decision isn't an easy one for them. Addicts fear withdrawal and they cannot conceive of a life without drugs. So why do they stop taking drugs?
They stop because in their own minds going on using drugs seems even more painful than stopping.
Putting it another way - addicts decide to stop using drugs when the consequences of their drug-use get too painful.
For some addicts the consequence of drug-using which makes them stop is something serious, like a prison sentence. For some it's the moment when they are chucked out of the family home. For some it may be a realisation that nobody is going to rescue them any more. Families can raise the level of pain when they withdraw support and stop picking up the pieces.
Nick remembers what finally brought him to the realisation that he must stop using drugs. 'My parents eventually couldn't take any more. They told me: "We love you, but seeing you is doing us no good." They asked me to stop coming home. I was astounded. How on earth could this happen? About three weeks after that I went into a treatment centre, and then joined Narcotics Anonymous. I have been clean and sober since.'
So the message for parents is clear. Addicts stop using drugs when the painful consequences of their drug-use get too much to bear. If this is so, parents must let them experience those consequences.
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