I remember this day like it was yesterday. I was playing on my phone when my friend’s mother sent me a video of some clown saying addiction was a choice.
Fed up, frustrated and tired of dealing with ignorance I sat down and wrote this poem in about 45 seconds. It was just my version of how I see addiction. I had no idea people were going to like it. The plan was to just change one person’s perspective.
A week later a girl down in Tennessee messaged me saying, “Kevin Alter you’re famous!” I had no idea what she was talking about. I honestly thought she was just saying I was like an egomaniac or something until she started tagging me everywhere. It was complete chaos. I immediately got a copyright on the poem but the damage was done.
The stigma had been broken, at least for a couple of weeks anyway.
My buddy tracked the total number of shares at four or five million. That was good enough for me. After that came the hundreds of arguments with the people pretending they wrote the poem. In the end was it all worth it? Sure, it’s always worth it. If it helps one person then it’s worth it.
I enjoy reading your diary. It reminds me why I don’t need that one more. Through working a program and learning a new way to live, along ith your , I know I am recovering. Thanks for all you !!
amazing how similar the stories of addiction are…I’m a mom of an addict….my daughter has been addicted for ten years…I have come full circle..love…hurt….hope….disappointment…disgust..judgement ..forgiveness (of myself and her)…compassion…..love…she is struggling now with recovery…(as she has countless times in the past )..but this time it is different…because of a tiny 5 lb.baby girl who struggled with addiction a day after she came into this world…she made it..!…now it’s her mom’s turn…she is going to make it..and be re united..with baby…both clean and sober..