Whether it be a parent, a sibling, a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, a cousin, or a friend, most of us know a drug addict. Addiction has become such a widespread epidemic in today's society. It's almost unheard of that a person doesn't have someone within their family facing addiction. With that being said, a lot of us know what it's like loving a drug addict. A lot of us have experienced the earth shaking, heart-shattering love.
But, if you're lucky enough to not have ever experienced that kind of love, let me just tell you what it's like:
Loving a drug addict is loving someone with a disease. It's loving someone that is so looked down upon in society. It's constantly feeling the need to take up for the person when you hear someone else talking negatively about them or their addiction. It's trying to defend them, even though you know they're in the wrong however it hurts hearing someone else talking bad about them. Loving a drug addict can even make outsiders associate addiction with you simply because you care about an addict, even though you aren't one yourself.
Loving a drug addict is supporting that person through their highs and lows. It's loving them when you see their mugshot online, and when they've been clean for three months but suddenly relapse. It's writing them letters when they're in jail, praying to God that they can find it within themselves to get clean, and continuously praying for what seems like forever whenever they don't get clean. It's paid two-minute phone calls while they're locked up that leave you in tears because although it was nice hearing their voice for the first time in two weeks, two minutes simply wasn't enough and all you want is a hug from them.
Loving a drug addict is learning to love from a distance. Sometimes it comes to a point where loving a drug addict too closely can do damage to yourself. It's nights filled with tears, prayers without words because you simply don't know what to say, and an angry heart. Loving a drug addict is wanting to be there for them because they need you, yet not wanting to be there because it hurts your heart too much to see them suffer.
Loving a drug addict is a broken, sometimes one-sided relationship. It's loving the mess out of a person, and only getting the love in return sometimes. You know they're a loving person and that they care about you, but the drugs make them a different person and sometimes they can be cruel and say mean things — yet you love them anyway. It's putting in so much effort into the relationship and trying to help them get better, only for them to not want to get better and continuously use time after time again. It's loving someone who may not talk to you for weeks, yet will be the name on your phone at two in the morning when they need something.
Loving a drug addict is a love that you sometimes want to give up on, yet know that you may be their only hope. It's wanting to cut all ties with the person and move on with your life because dealing with their addiction is just too much to handle and hurts your heart too much, but you don't. It's the constant thought of "If I don't help them, then who will?"
Loving a drug addict isn't your normal kind of love. It's an earth-shaking, heart-shattering kind of love. It's a painful love — a kind of love that I wouldn't wish on anyone. It's a love that makes you scream and punch walls because you wish you didn't have to deal with it. It's the kind of love that no one wants to have, yet they hold onto for the sake of the drug addict.
SEE ALSO: I'll Stop Calling Addiction A Disease When It Stops Actually Being One
Those who love drug addicts, whether it be a family member or friend, don't deserve the negativity of "Why do you support them? They messed up, let them deal with it on their own." It doesn't matter how bad you mess up, this life wasn't meant to be walked through alone and being a drug addict doesn't mean they don't deserve love. Don't condescend to someone who loves a drug addict until you've experienced the heart-wrenching feeling of loving a drug addict.
