What can we say—we have all been there and done it to some degree. We are conditioned, even as children, to consume for the wrong reasons. Little Joey hurt his knee? Have a cookie, honey, to make it all better! Can’t sleep at night and have too many responsibilities the next day? A sleeping pill is a must! All groggy in the morning? Jack ourselves up on coffee! Injure our back? Get prescription pain medications! Then, realize you like the high? You’re hooked! Stress at work? Stress at home? A glass of wine, and it’s all just fine!

Be it food, alcohol or pills, before we realize it the small fix no longer cuts it. We now venture in to more hard core relational drugs. Eventually our body is unable to function on its own. We can’t sleep, wake up, relax, or even go out for a night of fun unless we are self medicated. The level we currently need to reach to feel happy or even just okay to roll with life is far beyond where we ever thought we would be. Soon our systems start to back up, we can’t use the wash room and our digestive system is wacked. I’d like to put an end to all of this but doing so would mean I’d have no friends to hang with because everyone I know is hooked as well. I long to enjoy life and have fun naturally without having to reach my own high behind the scene. Unfortunately, activities that can be naturally fun for some are downright boring to those who are used to flying with a high! How can I free myself from this self sabotaging regimen? Can anyone out there relate? I no longer want to be a prisoner.