Last Updated:
September 8th, 2025
“Nothing makes me feel free, apart from this substance…”
When battling with long-term alcohol or drug dependence, it can feel as though the substance becomes the only key that opens the door to your happiness and genuine peace.
Substance abuse starts to feel like “freedom,” but beneath the still surface, powerful shifts are happening within, and the seeds of dependence are starting to flourish.
Where does the sense of “freedom” in substances come from?
For most people, the first time trying alcohol or drugs will be looked back on as something profound or mystical, as an experience that opened a door to a new location or state of mind.
Depending on which point a person is in in their life, alcohol or drugs may offer a kind of solace or escape that represents an abstract yet pleasurable sense of freedom.
“I don’t need to think about what I’ve got to do today. My tribulations and my intrusive thoughts disappear. I just take this drug, and think about new things. But I know, I am still in control…”
Having a few drinks or taking your drug of choice might develop into feeling like an instant shortcut, giving you a new kind of social confidence, calmness, or a connection to those around you. For many of us, these feelings represent a sense of “freedom” we can’t find elsewhere.
Yet if we were to view this sense of freedom honestly and objectively, most of us would arrive at the same conclusion: “How can I be free, if the only way to arrive at ‘freedom’ is to take this substance?”
This question is not unfounded, and it begins to open the door to a greater understanding of how freedom through substance use may only be functioning as an illusion, or a mere spectre of genuine freedom and autonomy.
The turning point — when freedom becomes the cage
If we were to focus on an analogy to represent the illusory freedom in drug addiction, we could paint a picture of a person standing in front of cage bars.
In the early stages of addiction, a person may imagine that those who don’t take the drug are simply trapped inside those bars. “I stand outside of the confines of reality, as I have taken this substance.”
Yet over time, a person will most likely realise that the cage bars keep them inside, as those outside those bars certainly stand to live longer, have fewer health complications and are in better control of their finances.
Moments of lightness and drug-induced feelings of revelation grow shorter and more fleeting. The cost of chasing them grows heavier until health risks grind a person’s addiction to a halt, with sometimes dire or even fatal consequences.
Genuine and fulfilling aspects of freedom in recovery
We may try to understand freedom as something that doesn’t necessarily make us escape reality; more, it gives us the clarity and strength to live it fully. Treatment recovery provides help for addiction by:
- Breaking the cycle of dependency: Making your own choices without substances steering them.
- Rediscovering self-trust: You’ll be developing a profound and loving relationship with yourself, which can restore years of substance abuse.
- Opening space for new experiences: Building relationships, hobbies, and opportunities that last.
- Reclaiming emotional stability: Replacing the highs and crashes with a more consistent sense of peace and stronger mental health. Some people give this name “taming of the passions.”
- Creating a future you want to wake up to: A deeper sense of freedom means the feeling won’t disappear when the substance wears off.
How can I break free from the shackles of addiction?
When trying to break free from alcohol or drug addiction and the sense of control it gives you, it won’t be enough to simply put distance between yourself and the substance. A person needs to become more proactive in dismantling the illusions that keep them tethered to the drug.
Your journey will be unique to you, but there are a few universal steps that may help dispel the illusion of control in addiction and help you regain genuine control:
The power of “naming your illusion”
The first step you can take can be done alone, or may even be more effective if you have a loved one with you. Giving a name to an illusion is to admit that it exists, and it begins to strip away the false stories the addiction tells you. Every substance offers some narrative: This makes me more confident/creative, it makes me less stressed, it makes me more connected.
If you can name these illusions outright (this drink won’t make my problems disappear, it will just delay them), you can rob them of their subtle influence. Over time, this practice of naming the illusion helps you recognise urges for what they are: fleeting thoughts, not commands that you have to follow.
Develop your Special Support Network
Complete recovery is almost never a solo mission. Every person benefits from developing their own Special Support Network, made up of trusted friends, family, mentors and peers in recovery. A support network becomes a safety net when temptation strikes and becomes a bedrock during moments of darkness.
Your Special Support Network can be your people, there to support you during hard times, when you feel like you’re slipping. Surrounding yourself and staying connected to people who genuinely want to see you thrive can make a world of difference in maintaining long-term sobriety.
Replace substance use with healthy sources of fulfilment
One of the most recurring barriers to complete recovery happens when a person fails to introduce meaningful activities into their life, once the source of addiction is removed. When you think about your drug or alcohol addiction, ask yourself questions:
- How much time in my day/week/month is consumed by the substance, including its immediate influence, sourcing it and living with the hangover?
- Do many important points in my life involve the substance? Are those the moments that give my life “meaning”?
- If I imagine my life completely devoid of this substance, would I feel like I have more free time, or less?
The truth is that, for most people, removing the substance over time makes them feel like there are more hours in the day. At times like this, it is imperative to fill that time with new, meaningful activities. Developing an exercise routine, joining a martial arts class, or trying your hand at painting can become an area of renewed focus to lean on during trying times.
Seek professional, evidence-based support
You stand a much better chance of long-term sobriety when using professional treatment. Evidence-based approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) help you get to grips with both the physical dependence and the psychological drivers behind drug and alcohol addiction.
Giving up some degree of control to the hands of professionals can be completely life-changing. Their expert guidance will help transform recovery from an exhausting uphill battle into a structured path towards lasting freedom. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything.
Where can I find help removing addiction from my life?
If your relationship with alcohol or drugs has begun to feel like a cage, it’s important to know that real freedom is still within reach. Call us today and take the first step towards clarity and choice, for a brighter tomorrow.
