Living with Narcotic Abuse

I don’t know how to respond to Daniele’s story other than to write this and hope she - and others like her - reads it. I’m a recovering addict and I have 4 1/2 years clean.

I had a normal life too with a nice family. I first got drunk when I was 12, then smoked pot later that year. I tried speed when I was 14 and coke when I was 15. By 16 years old I felt like I had to use something - anything - everyday. I told my parents I was depressed because I didn’t fit in at high school so I took the proficiency test and went off to college early in LA.

For a while I managed to “just” drink, smoke pot&do coke but once I turned 19 I got strung out on heroin. My life was awful and I hated myself, but I was too scared (and the tiniest bit hopeful that things might change) to kill myself. My mom caught me and sent me to a detox facility where they taught me about 12 step fellowships. I was skeptical at first. I thought they were going to try to brain-wash me or something or that it was some kind of scary god-cult (it’s nothing like that by the way), and I wasn’t ready to fully surrender yet. I went in and out of detoxes and rehabs for about a year, until finally 11 days after my 21st birthday I decided enough was enough.

That was Dec.18, 2002 and I haven’t used ANY drug (not even booze!) since then. I wouldn’t not have been able to do it without Narcotics Anonymous. I go to meetings and the people there are really rad! There’s every different kind of person there - old, young, gay, straight, black,white, spiritual, atheist, whatever. It’s for every type of addict too - potheads, tweakers, pill-poppers, junkies, boozers, whatever you need help with. You’ll meet the coolest people in the world (that you’re guaranteed to have 2 things in common with - a rocky past and a hopeful future). You can be who you are and find a new way of life without the use of drugs! It’s amazing! The best part is - it’s a worldwide fellowship! There’s meetings all over the world.

You have a way out. Give it a shot, it doesn’t sound like you have much to lose.To find a meeting, just go to www.na.org and go to “find a meeting” and enter your zip code.

I’m not saying this to try to endorse or promote NA, or to try to recruit members - we don’t do that. I just read one of the other personal stories and felt that it was my responsibility to share my success story and let others know that there is a way out. I know it seems like there’s no hope sometimes but it does get better if you let it.

My life is awesome today. I’m engaged to another recovering addict (he has 6 years) and I work at a rehab now - haha! My mom has forgiven me and I have forgiven myself. Life is good and it keeps getting better!