Addiction and Human Trafficking
Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the effect that my addiction had on me while I was actively being trafficked. Although I didn’t really have much choice on whether I left my trafficker or not, my addiction did stop me from trying to run a lot of the time. I knew that if I stayed with him and caused minimal problems, he would provide me with the drugs that I felt I so desperately needed at that point. Whereas if I tried to run, he would then force me to do things I didn’t want to do and withhold the drugs from me.
Drugs were my solution to my problems until the drugs became the problem themselves. When I was high, I didn’t have to feel what was going on around me. It made me feel like everything was ok, even if it was just for a moment. Looking back on when I first got clean, it’s hard for me not to laugh. My initial reasoning for getting sober was to prove everybody around me wrong. I wanted to prove that I could get clean. Now, I truly believe that if you are going to get sober, you should do it for yourself and nobody else. Without the mindset that I had then, I wouldn’t be sober now.
I look at sobriety as a blessing because unfortunately, not every addict gets the opportunity to be where I am today. Today I am happy, healthy, honest, and I have goals that actually feel achievable. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction please note that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If nobody has told you this today, I love you.
Ciao for now,
Ricky
https://casinolivet.com what struck me was Ricky's honest admission that he initially got sober just to prove everyone wrong, which seems like such a fragile foundation compared to doing it for yourself. The detail about staying compliant to keep access to drugs, even when escape was technically possible, reframes how I think about the barriers people face in those situations. I've noticed in other contexts that the fear of withdrawal can override almost every other instinct, which makes his point about timing and readiness feel deeply practical rather than abstract.