Alcoholism and Drug Addiction......

I use the the haunting as a tool, and an effective one. My lows (and the months leading up to it) were enough to lay me at death’s door and allow me to choose whether to live or not while in a coma. And I don’t share that for sympathy or credit of any kind; I say it because those are the times I recall every so often because it’s essential – crucial – for me not to forget where I’ve been and what I fought. Those times humble me, keep me rigorously honest and put into stark contrast how much better my life is since the Promises have come true. The courage, character and integrity I have now are a result of those times and how I chose to deal with them. We fight monsters, to be sure. Many of us knows rooms of hell others will mercifully never even know exist. And we’re monster killers. We’re stronger because of our battle with them. I wouldn’t trade that for the world.

You’re right, addiction will whisper our names until the day we no longer hear. But my sobriety is so hard-fought and took so much to win that no mortal can ever take it from me. Not without my consent. My demon is always nearby, but we’ve struck a truce, we two. But he doesn’t use me any longer; I use the rewards of sobriety to keep him safely locked away.