Recovering addict's depiction of the Angel of Meth

Someone I met who went through recovery drew this. The drug as this seductress full of darkness. In my experiance a lot of people who turn to drugs have something they dont want to deal with. Something like meth or heroin can swallow up some pain or anxiety or let them escape their troubles. But over time the drug grows until swallows everything else too. And the grip of the drug can be painful to break. It's easy to say "Just stop" but people deep in addiction have to do more than just stop. They need to learn to feel and function anew, without the drug to lean on. They need to break connections to people that will drag them back. And for some people they need to resist monstrous cravings. I've seen someone who was sorely tempted resist. They were left shaking, breath hard and fast, face flushed. Somewhere between aroused and terrified as they parted with the drugs they had found.

Recovery is a process of constant, often painful, work. If you know anyone going through the process please be patient and supportive. From the outside it can be easy to forget how much courage it takes to walk away.