Dear Addict,

I see you-- struggling, fighting to see the light. You're tired. It's the kind of exhaustion that no amount of sleep can fix. You've been fighting these demons for as long as you can remember. ou've reached your breaking point. You don't even know who you are because addiction has stolen that from you. You're tired of people telling you to 'just stop' because anybody who ever struggled with addiction knows it's not that simple. Stopping cold turkey simply sends you into a shaking, anxious mess until it's back to square one. Relapse is your best friend. You know that it's true what they say; love kills, because you've fallen head over heels with something and it's literally killing you. The high became a toxic love affair-- you know it's destroying you yet you need more and more and more and more of it. You need it to get through the day, the next hour, the next minute.

I see you. You are not invisible.

You think you're a lost cause. Your parents have checked you into more rehabilitation centers within the past few years, but you can't stay clean for more than two weeks. Once, you had so much cocaine in your body that even the paramedics were surprised that you're still alive-- but I am so thankful you are. As long as you keep yourself alive, you're able to keep hope alive. With each new sunrise comes another chance. As long as your heart is still beating, there's still a chance at life. You're closer to a full recovery with each passing day-- even if you don't realize it. Don't give up on yourself.

I don't know all the places you've been, but I've heard about them and they don't sound fun. My heart aches for you. Although I cannot personally relate to drug addiction, I can relate to pain and I could definitely relate to darkness. I've been stuck in places where I thought I'd never escape. I've hit rock bottom. We have that in common. I am no better than you. You and I are both the same. We're all human, and we hurt. We feel too much. We get stuck. Nobody shoul judge anyone because pain happens to everyone. We may lead different lives, but underneath our skin, we're exactly the same. We're not alone in these places.

Dear addict, you are worth so much more than the needle, the pills, the alcohol, the razor, etc.

I don't know what or how long it will take for you to get better, but it's worth it. You might have to battle addiction for the rest of your life, but it gets easier. You'll meet people and learn coping mechanisms. I just pray that you find the strength to stick around long enough to see life get better. You were meant for life, not death. There is so much more to life than drugs and you deserve to be around to see it. I wouldn't be writing this right now if I didn't believe in happy endings.

By fighting for your own story, you are fighting for others as well. You could pave the way and show people that recovery is possible. You can be that light at the end of the tunnel. Your story can inspire. It can be the reason that someone steps away from the edge and keeps fighting. Isn't that reason enough to stick around?

So I beg of you-- please stay alive. Do it for you. Do it for the people who will need you someday. Do it for when you could finally smile and say that you've made it. Stay alive for that moment of redemption. It's worth it, I promise you.

Sincerely.

A friend.