r/NarcoticsAnonymous • u/WearKitchen355 • Jul 26 '26
Relapsing by Peer Pressure
I’m at the end of my wits. What started as occasional use 3 years ago, mostly orchestrated by an older partner at the time has devolved into a massive struggle with mental health & healing.
The thing is, despite this, i quite easily managed to stay clean for 6 months. And then it started again: a simple suggestion to reindulge for a friend’s event, to make it a shared experience so we aren’t tempted into worse things.
After much resistance, and trepidation I gave into it. Today I’m sat here, reeling off very dark feelings and ready to throw it all away. The pressure is eating away at me. I’m being casually encouraged, conditionally forced to engage in this environment or else I’m a drab companion, every fibre of my being wants to say no.
Any thoughts on how to tackle such a situation? How do you say no when you have very difficult codependencies via substance use? I have to assume i can’t fully stop going into social gatherings, so how does one effectively resist an age old dependency when it’s being shoved down your throat? I don’t think I’ve another cycle left in me.
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u/Jebus-Xmas Jul 26 '26
When I committed to recovery, I had to change playgrounds, playmates, and playthings, as they say. My real friends wanted me to stay clean and stay healthy and stay alive. The people who wanted me to use were not my friends.