Can you provide more details on what the "fantastic support system" consists of?
Aside from that, there was no shaming and very little drama. Essentially, my previous situation was that I was surrounded by extremely abusive family and dangerously messed up friends. I more or less made friends with “normal” people, got away from a really bad situation and it all just sort of… worked out.
There’s absolutely no secret sauce or trick in my getting clean. I can’t count the number of my old friends that tried stuff like I did and it didn’t work out.
It was literally just luck.
About a year after I quit, I made a new friend. He was a nice guy, seemed normal, but one day he casually mentioned that he occasionally used stimulants including amphetamines. I cut off all contact with him immediately (as did all of my close friends. It’s a good example of support in this case.)
I guess I was able to recognize and decisively take action to avoid temptation about a year in. This was likely also luck. I was in a pretty good place with my life in general, had that occurred six months earlier or six months later it could have had a different outcome.
So the answer is either a day or a year or never. It’s been ten years and I’ve only known where to get meth for about one day of it. I still get cravings to this day, I’m just no longer in the habit of indulging them.
I say this as someone who abused drugs when I was younger and came from an extremely abusive family environment.
And thanks for sharing and giving some great answers.
Addicts can't just stop and never do drugs again like a normal person. If it's there, they'll take it. It's not about strength and being able to walk away. It never goes away for an addict and the best they can do is avoid situations where drugs will be presented. Isolation from users is the best course of action.
Also, many people abuse drugs and even become addicted, but are not addicts. An addict is wired differently.
A safe, clean, and comfortable living environment.
Enough food.
The confidence in oneself, or their support network, to truly believe without fear, that they won’t end up back out on the streets.
A well paying job that isn’t dehumanizing, traumatizing, exploitative, or abusive.