I wish people realized what they were sacrificing when they choose to self-implode with drugs and all those bad decisions that accompany that moment in time (that fork in the road), where a single choice allows one to be consumed. It is, in fact, a choice to sacrifice your self-love, respect, friendships and those you love, children, professions, your dreams and goals, and all those good and irreplaceable moments in time.

Instead of employing every ounce of strength one can muster to walk away, one makes the choice to disempower themselves. Instead of asking for help from those that can be trusted with one's life . . . a choice is made to lie and live out denial. What follows is wasted precious time spent with those who are only there to share in the process of self-destruction.

Though 25 years have passed since I last gave my power away, I do know from experience those precious minutes one sacrifice when they say, "I will change tomorrow" . . . those minutes turn into days and then years and one is lucky to make it out alive. Sometimes we are not granted a tomorrow. I only wish they knew.