Imagine walking into a tiny room, the door shuts behind you, and there is no way out. Suddenly, everything goes dark, and you are stuck with only the darkness and yourself. Your thoughts are the only thing you hear, and those thoughts can become your worst enemy.

This is what it is like living with an addiction. Some of the strongest individuals I encounter are those suffering from an addiction. It is a constant battle to not only stay clean but to fight the cravings and the obsessive thoughts. People often say that those with addictions are weak or “why don’t you just quit.” If it were that easy, more people would do it. Substance-abuse disorders take over a person’s entire life. Addiction becomes an obsessive thought that cannot be ignored, and compulsive behavior that can’t be stopped. It slowly destroys a person’s whole life.

I recently had the opportunity to work with a client suffering from addiction. “Sue” has been clean for a few months and is beginning to regain her life. She had it all, a loving family, friends, a great job, and a beautiful home. But before she knew it, everything was gone. Sue became addicted to a drug that became her way of life and gave her a reason to live, but inside she was dying.

She found herself in an unsafe, unhealthy relationship struggling to stay afloat. After years of living as an active user, Sue decided that she couldn’t emotionally, mentally, or physically live the lifestyle of an addict if she wanted to have a future. She had hit rock bottom and asked for help. Sue is now rebuilding her life. She continues to fight her depression, her cravings, and her obsessive thoughts daily to stay clean. With each day, Sue tries to rebuild her relationship with her family, heal the wounds that have been left from an abusive relationship and discover who she is.

The battle of addiction is lifelong. Regardless of how well someone in recovery thinks they are doing, they are aware their addiction can resurface at any time. Working with individuals fighting for their recovery is rewarding beyond words. Witnessing an individual striving to find who they are and discovering the life they were meant to live is remarkable. It is an honor being part of that journey. As a therapist, the gratification comes when you experience the hope, the self-worth, and the happiness an individual begins to exhibit as they feel healthy and more in control of their life.

These individuals who are viewed as weak, who find themselves looking at death in the face but come back fighting, are anything but weak.