After just a few weeks of sobriety our health starts to improve.
To Steven,
I wanted to thank you for your help. Charlene likes the place and I am so relieved for her to FINALLY get the help she’s desperately needed! I couldn’t have done it without your help. I used to feel so helpless over addiction.
From, Sue
Remember that drug abuse puts a lot of stress on parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents—anyone who is part of the home.
Family members might fight a lot because of the problems the drug abuse is causing. The drug user might do and say things that upset neighbors and friends, and make the family ashamed.
Some people who are addicted don’t believe that they are sick and out of control, so they don’t look for treatment. They don’t see the problems they are causing themselves and those around them. Other people who are addicted are aware of the problem, but may be so upset and confused that they do not know how to ask for or get help.
To Veronica,
Fist off I would like to say sorry it took me so long to send this THANK YOU. My husband and myself are getting back to the normally of life. Thank you so much for the help you gave me with in a week and one day from the first phone call I placed to you.
Signed Barb
Seeing families together is one of the brights spots of recover
To Steven,
My son was in a facility getting the help he needed for so long. Thanks to Willie. I don’t know where my son or ourselves would be if did not have you in our corner.
Our son has been in the facility since June 24, 2015. He is working the program and loving where he is at. We just went to see him and it was amazing I could actually look into my son’s eyes for the first time in years. He looks amazing but more important than that, he feels amazing he is a human being again and is living his life being the son we raised and the man I knew he was. So thanks you so much for your time and all your effort. We will always be forever grateful.
Signed Chris
Addiction is a serious subject. You don’t have to figure this out alone
Hey Bruce
Robert here. Sorry its taken me so long to get this out to you. Been super busy! In a good way of course. I’m sober, back at work (and killing it) attending meetings and remaining cautious about every decision I make. Taking things relatively slow, just work and maintaining the house, taking the dog for a walk and stuff like that. I’ve found its easier if you stay busy and active, but only with simple things not complicated things or situations just easy going. Thank you so much for all you’ve done for me. Let me know if I can ever be of service. Thanks again Bruce.
Signed Robert
Dear Steven,
I want to thank you for being part of the solution instead of part of the problem. We were at our wits end in trying to help our granddaughter get into a drug rehab facility. We did not know where to start. We heard about your agency and called for help. We started out with your active website and started the process with the online chat. A copy of the entire chat was sent to my e-mail for future reference. That was very helpful.
Many times when addiction runs in families the children are taken away from their parents. Grandparents sometimes step in to help.
After many fits and starts we were finally able to get our granddaughter into a treatment facility out of state where she could get the help she so desperately needed. You and your colleagues were caring and compassionate throughout the whole process. You did not candy coat it, you told it like it was. For all your help we are eternally grateful. I would not hesitate a second in referring people who were in our situation to you for help.
Be well, and thanks again.
Jim
The photos and identities have been changed
My life was built around getting cocaine and getting high.
“Stacey” is recovering from her cocaine addiction. She’s thankful that her life is different now than it was before. (This story is based on the experiences of real people whose names have been changed.)
When I started using cocaine, I arranged my life so I could get high several times during the day. I’d take a snort first thing in the morning to face the day. Then I’d do more coke later in the day, between getting to work, doing errands, and seeing friends. But I couldn’t keep it under control. There is no control when it comes to cocaine addiction.
I never used to smile when I was using drugs
I started needing to take more and more cocaine to feel OK. My routine shrank down to working (to get money), buying cocaine, and getting high. Not much else besides eating and sleeping—and not so much of those either. I completely lost touch with my friends and relatives. It was awful.Now that I’m in treatment, I’m trying to take care of myself. I’m learning to deal with difficult feelings by talking to a counselor, rather than taking a drug. When I am by myself, sometimes I get tempted to use again. That’s why counseling and support groups are part of my daily life now. It’s also important for me to stay connected with friends and family. I need to feel like a part of the world around me.
Addiction runs in our family. That doesn’t mean I can’t stop the cycle.
“Matt’s” family has a history of addiction. He realizes he and other relatives may be more likely to become addicted. (This story is based on the experiences of real people whose names have been changed.)
Heart disease runs in some families. Addiction runs in ours. My dad is a recovering alcoholic. He remembers his father was an angry drunk, who died pretty young from liver disease caused by his drinking. My cousin’s been in and out of treatment for heroin addiction, and my mother has been trying to quit smoking for years. And now meth has caught my little brother.
I look at addiction as our own family monster, chasing us through the generations.
Bad Genetics didn’t prevent me from getting help.
But we do have some power to stop the monster. We can choose not to start using alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. For example, I decided when I was a teenager that I wasn’t going to drink alcohol at all. I never liked the taste of it, and it seemed like a bad idea to try and get used to it anyway. And I could rely on my close friends and relatives to respect my decision and not push me to drink.
Addiction will always be a disease in my family. At least now we are more aware of it. And we make an effort to show each other and our kids we can have a good time without drugs. When the whole family gets together, we don’t serve alcohol out of consideration for our many relatives in recovery. And we manage to entertain each other pretty well!
I want to protect my child from addiction. She doesn’t know about my past
I started drinking a lot and smoking cigarettes and pot when I was in high school. I liked how smoking and drinking made me feel—less worried, more fun. But then I’d be hung over and sometimes skip classes, and I didn’t feel like doing homework. I got bad grades, and everyone was angry at me. I felt like a failure. Soon I was getting drunk and stoned every day—not to have fun but to try to feel less awful.
I was in my 20s when it seemed like my life was falling apart. I called my company’s Employee Assistance Program. They help workers who are dealing with personal problems and they keep it private. They connected me with a substance abuse counselor and a support group. I won’t say it was easy, but I stopped smoking pot and drinking, with a few slip-ups along the way. Without the drugs I was able to think more clearly than I had in years.
I finally decided to quit smoking cigarettes when I became pregnant with my daughter. I got help from a quit-smoking hotline this time. And my doctor gave me a lot of support, which really helped.
Teaching Children about alcoholism and addiction is a great way to make sure they understand the truth.
I never wanted my daughter to know about my drug history. I thought it would send the wrong message. But what if she finds out the truth? Would she respect me then?
She’s almost in high school. Soon, she could face the same choices I did. I want her decisions to be different.
I want to tell her how it was for me. She needs to see that drugs can take over a person, even a tough lady like her mother. My daughter is so bright, so beautiful. I hope she can use my past to build her future.
