Writing a Goodbye Letter to Addiction: An Example

My Farewell to Addiction Letter and Guidance on Writing Your Own

We all have our own ways of letting addiction go. Addiction wreaks havoc on your personal and professional life and eventually feels like it becomes a part of you. It maybe sounds strange, but one of the most difficult things for me to accept was leaving that part of my life behind. It felt like a part of me died when I got clean.

Writing a goodbye letter to addiction was actually a good thing to help me move on.

It sounds like a weird thing to complain about, but you never know where your mind will go when you are newly sober. By the time I achieved recovery at Icarus in Albuquerque, I had engaged in drug abuse my entire life. Substance abuse was a part of who I was.

But it isn’t anymore, and it does not have to be for you either. Here’s my example, and I hope it helps you move on too.

Put it Into Words to Break Free From Your Addiction

Like I said already, one of the things that gave me a sense of comfort was writing a goodbye letter to addiction. I gathered up all the pain, trauma, and hopelessness and let it all out through this letter. Addiction was the hardest relationship that I ever left behind, but it was the greatest thing I ever did.

Whether you are at an addiction treatment center or striking out solo, it helps to put things in perspective. For me, drugs ruled my every waking moment, like an evil master that hypnotized me, I believed things that made no sense. Things like: I’m only hurting myself. Or: these people are my friends. Or: I can quit any time I want.

But I get it. Even though it makes all the sense in the world, saying goodbye to drugs is difficult no matter what. Moving forward can be tricky, but you will be a better person once you say goodbye to your addiction. Even though it is deeply personal, I will include what I wrote in my goodbye letter, and give some insight into how you can approach your own goodbye letter.

Think of this form of writing as like journaling, but even more helpful, as it allows for a sense of closure and moving on!

Dear Addiction: A Final Farewell

Dear addiction, I never thought in a million years that I would be writing this letter. I gave up almost everything in my life to be with you. Yes, in the beginning, there were happy moments. I had a lot of fun, but that fun slowly turned into my worst nightmare. You caused an immense amount of harm to my mind and my body. You took years of my life away from me.

As I write this, it feels like I am placing blame on external factors. This addiction was my own fault. I was the one that decided to have that first drink. I was the one that took that first snort of cocaine. The hardest thing for me to admit is that I did this all to myself.

My Personal and Professional Life Turned To Dust

My traumatic childhood experiences led me down a dark path. I experienced a lot of pain and suffering throughout my early years, and substance abuse was there to make me feel a little better during those dark days. The only relief I ever felt was when I fell into the evil clutches of addiction. Addiction, you are a tremendous liar.

You gave me a false sense of comfort. You made me think everything would be okay as long as you were there. We had a great relationship that turned into a horrible relationship. You constantly blocked me from moving forward in my life and doing productive things. You made me lose friends and other relationships. In the end, you felt like my only friend. But you were anything but.

A Goodbye Letter to Addiction: You Felt Like One Of My Family Members

You felt like family. As incredibly cruel as I was to my own family members during my drug abuse, I wasn’t cruel to you. I fed you and let you win at every turn. For a long time, I felt like you made me lose everything. You made me lose my job. You made me lose my home. At the end of the day, it was me who lost all of that. You were just along for the ride.

Any time I had a moment of clarity and entertained the idea of recovery, you talked me out of it. My mind was not my own. You controlled everything, and it was for your own self-preservation. I was wrong to trust you. I was wrong to let you control me. You were the greatest thief of all time. You stole it all, and I allowed it.

I have to turn my back on you now. I have been scared to let you go, but I realize now I will be leaving the worst of myself behind, and beginning a new chapter. At this point, I will make it my number one priority to keep you away. You are no longer welcome in my life. No longer will you trample through my peaceful mind.

From Despair To Hope: Beginning Your Recovery Journey

When you make the decision to get clean, you have to be one hundred percent comfortable with your decision. You have to realize that times will be tough whether you are clean or not. Drugs and alcohol are crutches that we fall back on when we don’t have the tools to deal with life’s challenges. Because of my time in recovery, I now have those tools at my disposal.

All addictions look somewhat different, but they all end up giving you the same result. Some addicts don’t ever want to get clean. Some do; but don’t know how to go about it. If you do just a little bit of research, you will find that there are many options when it comes to recovery.

As a person in recovery myself, I have also had to write a different sort of letter in the past several years. For me, writing a letter to my alcoholic daughter was more difficult than even looking at myself and saying goodbye to my own use. There are just so many complicated emotions when it comes to our kids. But I am happy to say both my daughter and I are now sober, and our family has become much different as a result. It is truly a miracle I am thankful for, each and every day.

Finding Freedom From Addiction is Possible for You Too

When I was actively using drugs, I never believed I would get clean. It was a foreign concept to me. When I finally did get clean, it made me realize that the self-doubt I’ve always had can be conquered. Any time I have doubt now, I question it. Why can’t I do anything I set my mind to?

Because of my time at Icarus Behavioral Health, I was able to leave my addiction behind and become a driven, healthy individual. It all started with me writing that letter to my addiction. When I finished it, I felt a tremendous weight lifted from my shoulders.

If you are ready, reach out to Icarus and get help to experience that for yourself. You just have to put in the work and love yourself. It’s possible for anyone. I am living proof.