Ex heroin user

I'm 20 years old and I got hooked on heroin when I was 16. last year I entered a Christian rehab for a year. During my time in the program I truly saw the love and the power of God (considering I had known nothing of Him before this). However, I got out and came back home in April and it's been a huge struggle being back in the world after a year in a sort of safe bubble. I still read my bible and pray everyday but come night time I'm crying myself to sleep feeling like I'm being crushed by these temptations.. I never thought staying clean would be this hard and I know if I use again I WILL die- it was only a matter of time for me. I'm scared of relapsing.. Please pray for me and maybe give me some scriptures I can meditate on or just an encouraging word, it would mean so much. Thank you.

Ephesians 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is excess, but be filled with the Spirit,
Ephesians 5:19 speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Ephesians 5:20 always giving thanks for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Keep asking GOD the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to fill you through his SPIRIT with love joy and peace and then sing to him with psalms , hymns and spiritual songs and ask him to take away all fleshly temptations.
Just keep talking to GOD and trusting him...never ever give up !!

This!

A shame really.
1. I'm headed toward 5,000 post and it's not like I hide who I am. Personally, I would have checked up on a person first before bringing some complaint on a post requesting prayer by someone else.
2. I'm glad churches and Christians filled in when you needed them, because they left me out in the cold. (Feel free to check into my views on governmental organizations helping people where Christians fail.) What you got was far better than what I got, but what we got helped us hang on when we needed something.

Right now, Nicole is still struggling to regain her footing in her old neighborhood. The absolute hardest part of getting out of the druggie lifestyle is going home for the first time after rehab. I really would point her to a church that would stick with her without judging her and putting her to work so she feels a part of the family, but I know of no such church that I can guarantee is like that no matter where you live in the country.

You have a better story in the Christian community than I have. Maybe you can tell her which church would do that for her. My denomination does ministries, but which kind of ministries where tends to be so different I really just can't tell her to go check out my kind of church. Some of the churches just aren't ready for anyone under 40 who isn't upper-middle-class with the worst life experience being someone's car battery died once. (Ahhh, come on! Got to admit that was funny. lol)

So, if you can give her a place that you know she'd fit in, that too isn't mentioning God, but it sure is pointing in the right direction for what she needs now, right?

She lost her old community, even if druggies aren't the most reliable sort. Got a new community of the reliable sort she can begin to trust? That's what she could really use now, and I've got no clue how to give her that.

Hi there Nicole ... we are no longer anything but new creations, I don't believe branding ourselves as anything makes the struggle any easier sister. We can only rely on the power and grace of God. I did Teen Challenge 10 years ago, so I know the difficulties associated with coming home. The only advice I can give you is ensure you have the right people around you, to support you, that you can be open and honest about your feelings and where your at. The other thing is that if temptation becomes to much, seriously consider moving from old areas, where you can break mental and emotional ties with your past. This helps empower us, till we have been on the "free boat" for a longer period of time. Remember the issues that provoked you to use in the first place may not yet have been dealt with. Renewal of the mind, trauma, pain rejection and fear takes time to work through. I had an excellent counsellor who helped me process the "stuff" that was overwhelming me, and work through unresolved past issues. Sorry for all the advice ... just with my past herion addiction I just thought I would share my penny worth. I've been clean for 10 years now, but I've needed support and open, trusting relationships. God bless you Praying

I was going to click "Like" for this up until this point, but then you had to keep going.


The hell it isn't! Are you also the kind of person who sees a jumper on a building and starts the "Jump jump jump" chant? Because that is the meanest, nastiest thing I've ever seen anyone EVER write on this site.

You're telling this on a thread for an ex-heroin addict? Are you NUTS? It IS addicting -- physically, emotionally, and mentally. (No stats on spiritual, but then again God is, so spiritual is a whole different thing that can't be statted.) You just told Nicole it's no big deal.

It IS a big deal. Where were you when she went through PHYSICAL withdraw? Where were you hours before when she knew she was about to go through it? Where were you afterward when her mind was stuck between "want-it-want-it-want-it" and "wow, I feel so much better now. But do I like this?" The withdraw hurts so bad, you can't imagine. Even after that the want-it sticks hard. So hard it's a different kind of hurt. There's a whole mind thing that has to happen to face the mere possibility of life apart from that damn drug. There's a reason most go back to it. It's a whopper of a struggle and truly God really is the only answer.

But you know what sucks? When you ask for prayer and somebody comes along to tell you "it's not as bad as you think it is. It's all in your spirit. You don't need anyone but Jesus."

Any time I have ever heard that line of junk tossed out, the one speaking it goes back to their normal life, quite pleased they did the Rah-rah thing, while the person struggling then gets two choices -- believe it and then fail. Or don't believe it, keep trusting God, and through his strength manages through day by day barely making it through each day until the moment when she realizes, "Wow! I just made it through a whole 24 hours without once thinking of that drug." (Nicole, keep at it. I promise that day will come.)

Do NOT do crappy pop-culture Christianese in front of someone struggling. It's the meanest thing you can do ever!



Nicole, one thing you really need to learn quickly is when to buy the advice and when to bypass bad advice. This was a moment when bypass is essential. This is NOT all in your head. Good for you for seeking help. Trust that help, because this is sometimes the other "help" we get stuck with. It is NOT you. You did not deserve this advice. I pray you understand that about your drug addiction. And your counselors understand the consequences of drugs and what has to happen next than anyone on this site. That also includes me, simply because it's been decades since my battle, and drugs have changed so much since then that all I know is they're much more potent than they were back in the 70's.

You're slaying the dragon! (That's what we called it back in my day. I hope the terms haven't changed that much since.) That is so noble, so brave, and yes, you ARE doing just that with God's help.

The dragon got bigger since my day, but remember God is your sword and gives you the strength to wield it. I do remember how hard it was, and I never did heroin, so you're slaying a bigger dragon than I can ever imagine.

I give you Matt. 19:26 for your motto, because that is the difference between you and "most."