The Most Encouraging Words for Drug Addicts

If you or a loved one have ever struggled with drug addiction, then you know it can be tough. It can feel isolating, and encouragement is often taken as judgment. The most encouraging words for drug addicts often come from people who have already recovered from their own addictions. 

That’s why we’ve put together a list of encouraging words for drug addicts. These words are a collection of inspirational quotes, lessons, and stories told by people who have battled their own addictions.

Encouraging Words for Drug Addicts

Addiction

• “First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
• “What is addiction really? It’s a sign, a signal, a symptom of distress. It’s a language that tells about a plight that must be understood.” – Alice Miller
• “Addiction is just a way of trying to get at something else. Something bigger. Call it transcendence if you want, but it’s like a rat in a maze. We all want the same thing. We all have this hole. The thing you want offers relief, but it’s a trap.”– Tess Callahan

Healing

• “Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives.”—Unknown
• “Become addicted to constant and never-ending self-improvement.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo
• “When was the last time you woke up and wished you’d had just one more drink the night before? I have never regretted not drinking. Say this to yourself, and you’ll get through anything.” – Meredith Bell
• “Remember that just because you hit bottom doesn’t mean you have to stay there.”– Robert Downey Jr.

Recovery

• “Recovery is not a race. You don’t have to feel guilty if it takes you longer than you thought it would.” – Anonymous
• “It’s going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.” – Joseph Campbell
• “My identity shifted when I got into recovery. That’s who I am now, and it actually gives me greater pleasure to have that identity than to be a musician or anything else, because it keeps me in a manageable size. When I’m down on the ground with my disease-which, I’m happy to have-it gets me in tune. It gives me a spiritual anchor.” – Eric Clapton
• “You don’t get over an addiction by stopping using. You recover by creating a new life where it is easier to not use. If you don’t create a new life, then all the factors that brought you to your addiction will catch up with you again.”– Anonymous

Some of these quotes are pretty hard-hitting, but at the end of the day, they serve as a reminder. They remind us that addiction is a sign of something more significant and more important.

Once you tackle your addiction, you can begin to express your greatest gifts.

Even Chinese proverbs can be useful for fighting addiction, or, if you’re in the mood for something lighter and more uplifting, check out these quotes that reflect our daily lives.

The battle for healing and recovery is worth the fight. Don’t give up hope.