Fighting addiction and staying strong on the straight path
Assalamualaikum everyone, I’m using this post to open up anonymously-I really don’t want to expose my own shortcomings publicly. For some time now, I’ve been struggling with a drug addiction. It’s not so much a physical dependency but a mental one, and even though I’ve managed to stop for stretches-sometimes weeks or even months-I somehow keep falling back into it. It usually happens when life gets tough and my mental state dips. I think I go back because deep down I know it’ll give me a temporary lift. Of course, that’s not an excuse, but honestly, quitting for good feels so hard. Right now, Alhamdulillah, I’ve stayed clean for two weeks, but I’m scared it might only take one really bad day to slip again. Another challenge is how easy it is to access where I live-weed isn’t illegal here, so it’s not hard to come by. When I’m going through prolonged rough patches, the temptation gets stronger and I end up returning to the same mistake. I make sincere dua, asking Allah to protect me from falling back into the sins I keep repeating, but so far I haven’t been able to hold on for good. One thing that worries me is whether my duas are even accepted-I’ve heard that certain actions can affect the acceptance of prayers for a period; does that apply to personal duas as well? Sometimes my Iman feels weak, and honestly, I’ve gone through phases in recent years where I’ve missed prayers. I’m trying my best now to at least keep up with the fard prayers, but I’m afraid old habits might pull me back. If anyone has faced something similar or has any advice that helped them, I’d be so grateful. And please, remember me in your duas-I really want to leave this harmful lifestyle behind for good, InshaAllah. JazakAllah khair for reading.