Two ways to slay a demon

In life, we all have our troubles, our hard times, our demons. We all struggle from time to time, fall down, pick ourselves back up and try to make the best of it and better ourselves for the next time.
Some of us are better at it than others.
Every experience we have in life changes us in some way. We become broken, can be become broken, or damaged. Some of that can be repaired, some of it can't and some of it never does.
As we emerge from the strife, there are really two ways to go about it.
First, we can learn from our mistakes and make better choices for our future, and in some way, our present. We begin by surrounding ourselves with supportive, positive, productive people who help us rise above the things in our past that once brought us down. That is one way, and clearly for most, the most successful way. Using this approach usually slays the demon for good.
The second strategy is to find others who are damaged, and who will accept us readily, and then just continue on the cycle, as the two parties drag each other down further, yet still maintain a relationship, until one, or usually both, crumble and the whole thing collapses. At this point, the demons now have a stronghold and it gets ever increasingly tougher to correct the downward spiral. With each failure, and demon building experience makes it tougher and tougher.
Why would one choose the second strategy over the first?
Clearly, the second one is familiar and comfortable to the troubled soul who chooses it. It is also very easy, as its not hard to maintain. It is somewhat hard work to be a better person, to be there for others, to do the right thing and gain success on a steady and daily basis.
Some, sadly, cannot ever use the first strategy, and end up empty and completely broken at some point. There is always hope, but it fades day by day, year by year as the demons accumulate and multiply.
There is always time, and always hope. No situation is truly hopeless. It only gets harder but it never gets impossible. If you make enough great supportive friends, they will tell you that.