Have you ever met anyone who has battled addiction? If so, you have probably wondered why they can’t stop using and acting like an idiot. With addiction comes irrational behavior, with irrational behavior comes a plethora of negative consequences. Still, it takes a great deal of pain and suffering for someone to recover from addiction.
Many people start using drugs and alcohol at a young age. When most kids start experimenting with drugs, they do not have the end goal of becoming an addict. However, it happens. And as they grow older, it gets harder and harder to come out of this dark cycle of addiction. Think of all of the peer pressure: parties, bars and clubs are a great way to meet people and most weekend activities revolve around drinking. When you take that out of someones life, what is there left to do? That is the number one question young people in recovery ask at first.
At this dual diagnosis rehab center I learned about everything I didn’t want to know about addiction.
My therapist explained to me that it was a fatal disease, and if I continued to use, I am either going to end up in jail, in an institution or dead. To me, it seemed like a bunch of scare tactics to make me change my ways, so I continued to use drugs and drink throughout rehab. The next three years turned into a living hell, until I hit a bottom.
Without going into detail, I ended up hospitalized due to drugs and finally recognized that I have this disease of addiction. From the hospital I willingly went to rehab. I was completely spiritually broken and had nothing left to my name. I was done and I knew it. At the age of 19, I decided to take the blind leap of faith into recovery and haven’t looked back since. Making this decision to get sober was the best action I ever took.
Today, I am 25 years old and have over six years of uninterrupted and continuous sobriety. When I got out of that dual diagnosis rehab center at 19, I asked that above question: Drinking and using drugs were my life, how am I going to have fun again? I quickly found out that in sobriety having fun is the best part.
I am no longer a slave to addiction and finally have the freedom that I always tried to achieve.
My life is like every other 25 year-old. The only difference is I don’t drink or use drugs.
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