Addiction Poems: Creativity in Recovery

Writing addiction poems is one way that recovering addicts can allow their creativity to benefit their recovery in a very positive way.

Explore heartfelt addiction poems written by recovering addicts. Discover how creative expression fosters healing and growth in recovery journeys.

Addiction Poems:

Monster in My Head

There is a monster who lives in my head, He talks to me softly he wants me dead.
He tells me this time I’ll stay in control. He tells me not to let anyone know.
He convinces me that no one cares, He whispers the pain is to much to bear.
He tells me how wonderful I will feel. He tells me he loves me and it is real.
He tells me not to call anyone, My heart starts racing, he tells me it will be fun.
He tells me not to think of past times, He promises I can do it just once this time
Who is this monster who calls me by name, RELAPSE, he waiting to start the game.

Written while in detox 02-22-2002 by an addict named Darla

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I Can Breathe Again

By Elizabeth – 2010

I can breathe again
Whispers in the wind
Telling me
That our lives can
Be lived
Sober and Free
From all the pain and anguish
That consumed
Our lives
I can breathe again
No more pain
Inflicted on you
From me….
Having to break those vows
Of life
For What? Why?
Through those steps
In that Big ass book
You and I will learn
To Breathe Again

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The Addict

by Dean  c.1999

The addict is a special case,
of feelings gone awry.
Alone, yes, in a crowded place,
perhaps a real nice guy.
Or gal, it’s not to say the least,
both fret in stereo,
Beauty or the savage beast,
they never seem to know.

The world is wrong, a bitter place,
but deep, way down inside,
He’d rather die, than lose face,
he’d rather run and hide,
Distractions are the easy route,
with drugs and sex and food,
Adrenalin, beyond a doubt,
crime and dice will do.

The child inside is safe, endured,
he’ll grieve another day,
No more hurt, he’ll make sure,
someone else will pay,
Someday, maybe things will change,
he won’t have to live this lie,
He’ll laugh and dance and shout and sing,
All the music trapped inside.

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Just Beneath the Surface

by Dean B c.2000

Just beneath the surface of her pleasant, winning smile,
Pompous and indignant, it’s been there quit a while,
Comforting, reliable, it keeps her in the dark,
At least a million reasons and subtle quirks remark:

“Sure it makes a lot of sense!” she’ll deal with it tomorrow,
Sadly now the curtain falls, why does this seem to sorrow,
A chapter ends, a twist of fate, what could be the purpose,
For most of us the painful truth, lies just beneath the surface.

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Recovery Tastes Sweeter

by Dean B c.1998

Give up the Sugar, who me.
Well, a sweet tooth
Runs down… my family tree!

But, one bite of sugar means ten!
So giving it up sure makes sense!

It all boils down to how much I want it,
My recovery tastes better,
I better not taunt it!

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Layer Cake

by Joanie C

Chocolate grudges are iced with past pain and
forbidden desires.
Every piece is always the last piece.

Tears keep the cake moist.
It’s forbiddeness makes it so much more
desirable,
Heartburn of guilt comes to visit soon after.

They’re all so angry with me because of my
gourmet choices,
I’m sorry for that because I wasn’t out to
punish them,
I wanted to punish some part of me.

Unfortunately my body is an innocent victim
of a bad, bloody traffic accident,
Wrong place at the wrong time.

Before conflict I always prepare for extra girt,
My vulnerability will have a chance of being
protected.
However, I notice in photographs that my eyes
always give me away.

My fate lately seems to depend on so many ifs,
I put too much power in the “ifs”.

There’s a hole inside that needs a tending to,
I’m always hungering for some thing, some one.

I mended many wounded birds,
But at such a cost.
I’ve neglected my own wounds,
They mostly bleed inside.
Safer that way.

Don’t offer me pity, offer me love.
Don’t offer me sadness, offer me hope.
Don’t judge me harshly, be my friend.
You would be great competition for that Layer Cake.

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Little Brother

by Vanessa v c.2001

Little brother, dear
you never had a chance
so young and innocent you were,
so cute and full of joy!
We played and laughed
and dreamed about life,
about accomplishments
and things we would master.

Little brother, dear
you never had a chance.
You looked for a father,
strong and loving.
For a mother letting you grow up,
you had visions of a full life,
of learning of being someone,
the world could admire.

Little brother, dear,
you never had a chance,
A father who was never there,
A mother who wouldn’t let you go,
loving you to death, and didn’t know.
You were imprisoned with attachments,
placed on you and suffocating,
no breath, no hope, no self.

Little brother, dear,
you never had a chance,
looking for friends in wrong places,
desperate for acceptance and love,
licking your wounds with alcohol and drugs,
escaping reality, never knowing what it was,
yet yearning to fill the hole in your heart,
desperate, isolated – with what!

Little brother dear,
you never had a chance,
I remember in my heart, your love
your honesty to me and your cry for help,
yet I did not know, had my own stuff,
we both were outcasts in the family,
tortured and despised children,
from fathers nobody accepted.

Little brother dear,
you never had a chance,
I felt your dying from far away,
helpless, reaching out too late.
It was too hard for you to live,
You died alone, with no-one holding you,
The loneliness you must have felt
I just hope, your Angel carried you!

Little brother dear,
You never had a chance,
I make sure they never forget
Even though they try so hard
Your name is mentioned,
your story told again and again,
Your love always remembered,
a jewel in my life, the greatest gift from you!

Little brother dear,
there is a chance again,
when I come up to heaven,
and hold you in my arms,
we both know more and understand,
and laugh and cry again, together,
and share and understand
and let go of all the pain, together.

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Awakening – Sacred Place in my Heart

by Vanessa v c.2001
The world is alive,
with magic and with wonder,
I never saw these colours
so deep, so vibrant,
dancing in my heart.

Thank you my friend,
for waking me gently,
for touching my shoulder
for opening my eyes,
for feeling it all again.

You know my needs,
how to unlock my heart,
gently and with care,
guiding me along the path,
to freedom, love and trust.

You had the key I lost,
a gentle soul you are,
with wisdom grown of pain,
leading me from darkness
into light and joy.

So much has changed since then,
within me and around,
my feelings dancing,
my eyes and spirit laughing,
love overwhelming me to tears.

It is a quiet love,
deep and trusting,
of not believing yet,
how wonderful it is,
how deeply satisfying.

Yet there is strength,
growing, nurturing, expanding
the world within is alone no more
but connected with the universe,
gaining strength and trust.

You are the messenger,
an angel long anticipated,
to unfold the truth so gently,
to touch my heart
to bring my soul alive.

This love will never die,
never end, whatever is
it is devotion for such gifts,
Cause I would never know,
if you hadn’t found the key.

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Forgotten Dreams

by Vanessa v c.2001

It’s a good age, it always was
to mature, to ripen mind and body,
to reminisce of times long gone,
to realize the repetition
of dreams fulfilled and crushed.

Wallowing in early childhood
when the world was still a dream
when dreaming was allowed,
when I still saw goblins and fairies,
being alive in and around me.

Was it real or was it just a dream?
I wonder…. often…. where the secret lies.
I just didn’t see them anymore…later
they tried to talk with silent voices
I didn’t hear them anymore.

Intellect, reality was the new game
There were new rules now……
about real things….. life….. progress.
About education, getting ahead,
marrying well, having the right friends.

I still saw goblins and fairies here and there
my childhood friends, waving good-bye
‘You just have to call, we’ll come back’
Tears of lost dreams welling up
dying inside without a choice.

I went on to the fight of life
forgetting love and simple things
losing myself in success and fortune
Hunting and hunting without end
Wanting things, people to be mine.

I never succeeded, never gave up,
wanted this and that and more,
more toys, more love, more admiration,
more success, more money, more gold,
more people around, friends admiring me.

There was no new path, no new game to play,
no new price to win, no new love to conquer.
No new friends to have, no more parties to go to,
no more clothes to wear, no more travels to do.
The journey had ended in pain and emptiness.

Left behind was precious Me,
An empty shell, lost and alone,
there were no voices teaching me,
there was darkness, frigid cold inside,
fear taking my life, my spirit away.

I remembered my old friends,
they came and told me stories
of love, compassion, gentleness,
of letting go and trusting, of giving
of learning to know who I am.

I had forgotten how it felt,
digging deep into my soul,
for the treasure I once possessed.
to go back and feel again,
cry tears and laugh and feel my pain.

Feeling me, embracing all of me,
Facing my emotions deep inside,
Feeling my longing, body and heart
To love again without possession,
To give freely of me without a reason.

The numbness left, the feelings came
Giving up and letting go of me,
Embracing the world in all its’ beauty,
Standing in awe and admiring all creatures
All human kind, having real friends again.

I laugh and cry and tell the truth,
Pride and reputation are no hurdle now,
I found my truth again, I am a child.
know the secret now of goblins and fairies,
of how the world works so easy by itself

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The Dean of Addictionz

Working the Solution with Multiple and Addicts of all types

• 36 Years Personal Recovery Experience in several Self Help Programs
• Addiction Recovery Outreach Trustee, NW Region Webmaster, Newsletter Editor and contributor for various Recovery Associations Publications
• Published in several major recovery publications:  AA Grapevine, Al-Anon Forum, Overeaters Anonymous “Voices of Recovery” and “Lifeline”, Gamblers Anonymous “Bulletin” &”Toastmaster” Magazine 
• This AddictionZ.com website is featured in Melody Beattie’s current “Codependent no More Workbook”
• Over 45 years successful contracting business experience working with over 2000 employees and Penitentery halfway house temporary staff.
• Sponsoring many recovering multiple addicts with long term good results
• Recovery weekend workshop leader in Western Canada & US Pacific NW
• Author “You Can’t Unscrew Somebody Workbook” for relationship makeovers
• Author “Sex Inventory Workbook” for sex issues
• Author “Drunk Driving Workbook”  for safety
• Author “Breaking The Cycle of Gambling Addiction” arrest the money drain!
• Author “Breaking the Cycle of Compulsive Overeating” get healthy!

Here is a thought!
Why don’t you book your sober recovery style vacation with us in beautiful downtown Victoria BC Canada at our Gingerbread Cottage Bed and Breakfast. Over the years we have had lots of therapists, recovering addicts and health professionals stay at our idyllic B&B steps from the Salish Sea. Oh and we have gourmet breakfasts too! Vanessa makes a fantastic Austrian Apple Strudel! see more on our B&B website…

Please leave your comments below, and I will be sure to answer them. If you want one of the publications but truly cannot afford it leave a comment with your email address and I’ll send you a free one…

This website is about recovery – not making money – but it wouldn’t hurt to pay a few web hosting charges if you  decided to visit one of the sponsors ads… I have kept outside ads to a minimum so it’s not so frustrating to read. Hate those pages with an ad between every paragraph.

Have a great One Day at a Time! Dean 🙂