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HAVE YOU GOT MONEY TO BURN?
REPOST BY Troutnut 1. Approx. Aug. 2019
Most smokers don't have the money, on their own, to even maintain their addiction. They have to borrow money just to be a smoker.
For many, many years I really couldn’t afford to smoke or drink. I relied on well meaning, but misinformed friends, relatives, employers, co-workers, and creditors to assist me in continuing my addicted lifestyle. I got help from my Enablers. They allow addicts like me to continue long after we would ordinarily be able to continue on our own. They delay the natural consequences of our actions. They provide the Piggy Bank we break every time we have trouble funding our addiction.
When my addictions were active, I thought I was pretty independent. I thought it was my business, and my business alone whether I continued to smoke and drink.
But all the while I was borrowing money from creditors and relatives, which supported these addictions. Oh, they didn't know the money was going to feed my addictions or they probably wouldn't have given me any. But that is exactly what much of it went for. Even when I was dead broke I still found ways to smoke and drink. My enablers funded it for me.
When I got sober and smoke free it took many years to pay back all the money I borrowed. My dear mother kept track of it all. I told her I didn't even want to know how much it was, but that I would just keep sending her checks until she told me it was paid. It took a long time, but finally I redeemed myself. I actually paid her a little too much and she kindly sent me a refund check.
There is a saying in recovery circles that addicts have to "hit bottom" before they can recover. But what they don't tell us is that we "hit bottom" whenever we care to stop digging.
Are addictions to sickarettes, alcohol, or other drugs causing you to keep digging? How deep are you willing to go? What has your addiction done to your financial life? Do you owe money to friends, relatives, banks, credit cards, banks, or personal loans while continuing to smoke? If so, then you are borrowing money to smoke.
You can push the STOP button on the Down elevator anytime you want to. And when you do it will stop, the doors will open, and you can walk out into the light and freedom. You may have some past debt to repay like I did. But you don't have to go down any further.
Today I am an expert on money matters. I am trusted by family and friends to handle important financial matters and estates.
I just retired from an important career position dealing with money for the state of Montana. I am debt free and drug and alcohol free. But none of that would have been possible without having first dealt with my addictions.
Your friend in Montana
Troutnut1-dennis