As a child, did you ever have to write apology letters, such as one to your siblings after an argument? Or, maybe you frequently wrote in a diary about your emotions and what was going on in your life.
Writing out our thoughts and feelings is one way we, as humans, choose to understand ourselves and to express ourselves.
While it might seem weird to write a letter to yourself – it really isn’t all that abstract. That is exactly what you are doing in your diary.
But, have you ever considered writing a letter to your addiction?
I know what you are thinking – wait, writing a letter to an addiction? It sounds a bit crazy.
So, why would you do that?
Have you ever considered that your addiction is a part of you? It is like that big, bad monster that lurked in your closet as a child that you just want to get rid of. And, sometimes, it helps to treat it as though it is something you can actually see.
We are relational beings and typically people have a long-running relationship with their addiction or addictive behavior.
Let’s take a step back and consider it more like the breakup letter you might have written to your middle school boyfriend or girlfriend.
You simply told them it wasn’t working out for whatever reason and you couldn’t be together anymore, right?
Well, it is time to do the same thing with your addiction…
You have been in this relationship with it for so long and it is time to breakup with it.
How do I get started?
Writing a breakup letter to your addiction might seem taboo at first and might even leave you with some writer’s block. But, address it as if it were a real person.
Grab a pen and some paper, find a quiet place, and get started.
First, start by addressing your addiction – for example, “dear alcoholism,”.
Next, write how it has been hindering you all this time. Just as you would tell someone you were breaking up with why you are doing so, do the same for your addiction. This will help you realize the grip it has taken on your life and what you have actually lost because of it.
Lastly, tell it how you are going to get rid of it and what good changes you are going to make.
The letter can be whatever you want it to be – it is yours. But, the main thing is that it gives you power over your addiction and also helps you see the effects right in front of you and make an actual commitment to change them.