Confronting Addiction
If you or someone you know is struggling with the negative consequences of drugs and or alcohol, you (or they) may have an addiction. Please know you are not alone!
According to the CDC, 48.5 million people aged 12 or older in the United States (17.1% of the population) were estimated to have had a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in the past year.
So what exactly is addiction, and how do you know if you are addicted? If you or someone you know is an addict, how do you get help?
These are giant questions, but inshaAllah, this blog can serve as a stop on our journey to learn more about this potentially serious problem.
What I am and what I am not. An Introduction to the Author:
I am a person who has lived experience with addiction. I started experimenting with drugs and alcohol at the age of 14. This experimentation turned into addiction by 16, and I did not get sober until my late 20s. Not all addiction becomes extreme, but mine did. I was considered a late-stage addict and suffered from homelessness, criminal behavior, and a series of overdoses, where I nearly lost my life. During all of these tribulations, I could not stop using drugs, even when I wanted to, even though my life depended on it.
Then, I was granted the chance and opportunity at a new life, a sober life, free from my addiction. I went from homelessness to become a college graduate, a business owner, a sister, a daughter, a friend, a wife, and a Muslim. I am completing my hours to become a certified Recovery Peer Specialist and beginning my Master’s education.
In this blog, inshaAllah, I will give a general description of addiction (to substances, alcohol, and behavior). I hope that the community will take an interest and ask questions. I hope to publish some of these questions anonymously so that they may help others.
I want to be clear, I am not a religious scholar, nor do I have any formal medical training in substance abuse. I do not wish to act as an expert, but rather as a peer, with a shared passion and curiosity about improving the quality of life for those who suffer. Furthermore, because I am a convert to the faith of Islam, my experiences have traversed both the secular and nonsecular world in a variety of faith traditions. I realized when I became Muslim that there was a lack of conversation about addiction in the community and amongst faith leaders. The inspiration for this blog came from a desire to share my experience and foster understanding of Substance Abuse Disorder/ Addiction in the community at large. While I intended to bring good to my community of Muslim people, I hope that anyone, regardless of religion, and those who are agnostically inclined can also find benefit in this space. I am sincerely grateful to Muslim Space for sharing their platform with me; they have provided considerable, unwavering support for this small endeavor. May Allah SWT accept.
