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One Year Clean and Sober Today. This is My Story.
Where to start? I guess a little background information. I'm a 23 year old male, living in Houston, Tx. I'm a full time student and a full time worker, 15 hours of school a week and 40 hours work time. I make $41,000 a year, and will graduate in 1 and 1/2 years from a very respected program. I've got a wonderful relationship with a girl I love and one day hope to marry, a great family relationship and support system, and a nice place to live. Today, I no longer struggle with the compulsion to use drugs as long as I stay spiritually fit. My life is truly amazing today, I am very blessed by my higher power to be able to truthfully claim all of the above. It wasn't always this way, however.
My addiction started around the age of 15. I had already experimented with drinking for a few years and had found something I really liked. I never had a problem making friends as a young adult, but for some reason, I always looked for anything that would make me just a little bit cooler, and I thought I found it with alcohol. I remember the first time I ever drank; it was in 6th grade in my buddy's garage after watching WWF wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin chugging beer on TV. Boy, I thought I was the stuff, lol. As my drinking progressed into habitual, I was only a fresham in Highschool. Even though I was an above average student and an exceptional athelete, I wasn't content. I found myself buying beer from a morally deficient corner store on the weekends, and sneaking 5-10 shots of liquor from the obscene amount of bottles my dad's liquor cabinet before bed most nights during the week. This went on all through high school, just in increasing levels. Three out of the four years I was in high school, I was suspened at least once for a drinking related event. Around age 17 I was able to buy liquor from a real liquor store, which increased the amount of drinking I did.
As funny as it is to me now, I was totally against using drugs in high school. Maybe smoked weed 5 times the through the whole 4 years. I went to college in 2005 and got some money to play football. I was a good linebacker, nothing spectacular, but pulled my weight. The best part was I got to go to one of the top 3 schools in the state for pre-law studies. Being a lawyer was what I wanted to do at the time, and even though my grades in high school were above average, I didn't have good enough grades to get in without the football. After my freshman year of college, I injured my knee. Even though I had taken painkillers recreationally before, this was the first time I had a strong supply. It was almost a month and a half before they could schedule my surgery back in Houston. To put up with the pain of simply getting out and about to go to class, etc, my doctor gave me a copious amount of Norco 10/325 hydrocodone/apap pills. At this time I was still able to take pretty much as prescribed for the pain, but I started taking a few extra on the weekends. After the surgery, I was told I couldn’t play football anymore, and I took it pretty hard. I started smoking weed daily, which was totally out of character for me because I used to not like the way I felt on it. I found that if I smoked enough weed throughout the day, the depression I felt from the loss of football and my greatly culminating debt from college would disappear. I started selling drugs shortly thereafter. It was something that I felt very comfortable doing, as I was naturally a people person and loved to have people need me for something. I found that I received more admiration and respect for selling drugs than for anything else I had ever done. It felt really good after the disappointment of losing football. By the end of my freshman year of college, I had experimented with every prescription pill known to man and cocaine, but still smoked large amounts of hydro every day and my pain pill usage increased to about 3 nights a week. My sophomore year of college was about the same, just the dealing and the using became more and more increased. I ended up trying every drug I have ever heard of, with the one exception being crystal meth. After my sophomore year of college, I decided I didn’t want to study pre-law anymore, and moved back to Houston to attempt to start over.
When I got back to Houston, all of my positive and well grounded friends were still off at college. The ones that were still there were a lot of the addicts and partiers that never left. I started hanging out with this group and found that I fit in very well with that group because that’s what I had become. I got in a strong partnership with a large cocaine distributor in Houston, and began to make some serious money. This only fed my addiction, as I lived in an apartment with one of my using buddies, and began to take pain killers daily. It started off with just Lorcet and Norco, but as my tolerance built, I graduated to Oxycodone and Dilaudid. I loved the way it felt, it took me out of my worries and guilt. I began to lose all inhibition towards drugs, and I felt like deep down, I was ok with what I had become. I went from a collegiate athlete at a top 3 Texas university on my way to law school, to a drug dealing addicting on my way to jail, or death. Something about the lack of expectations from my new lifestyle seemed perfect. I shortly after began to include Heroin in my dealings. I associated with some of the worst, gang affiliated people I could imagine meeting, and pulled off fitting in with these people. After being exposed to Heroin, I shot up for the first time. I had always told myself I would not be a needle junky, but like I said all my inhibitions for drugs were gone. I kept slamming it for about 2 weeks, and something in me woke up. I found myself hating the way I was feeling, I think mostly because of the “dirtiness” associated with IV drug usage. I decided to get off Heroin and go back to the oxy and weed. I managed to get my oxy usage up to, at times, 400 and 500mg a day. I was a non-feeling human. In the last few months of my using I wrecked both of my trucks, was pulled over 3 times (never ticketed or arrested), and bailed on my roommate in my old apartment.
May 3rd, 2009, I finally asked my family for help. The response I got was one of “It’s about time”; I had thought I had concealed my addiction from everyone, but as it turns out, they all knew I was an addict long before I did. They found Memorial Hermann PaRC in Houston. I stayed there in residential treatment for 16 days, followed by 15 days of intensive outpatient treatment, and then 2 months of limited outpatient treatment. For the first few months, I was content just being sober. I was on the proverbial “pink cloud” of not having to use and find ways to means to get more. After about 3 months clean, I started working the steps with a sponsor, who has been amazing to me. I finished them about a month ago, and started sponsoring others last week. It is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I work full time now, about 40 hours a week, as well as take 12 to 15 hours of college. I have a wonderful girlfriend who I have been with just short of a year, and I couldn’t ask for anything more. Thanks to AA/NA, my family, my friends, and you guys on medhelp, I am living a life I never thought possible. I hope that this is of some help to someone out there, If I can do it, we all can. Love you all!
My addiction started around the age of 15. I had already experimented with drinking for a few years and had found something I really liked. I never had a problem making friends as a young adult, but for some reason, I always looked for anything that would make me just a little bit cooler, and I thought I found it with alcohol. I remember the first time I ever drank; it was in 6th grade in my buddy's garage after watching WWF wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin chugging beer on TV. Boy, I thought I was the stuff, lol. As my drinking progressed into habitual, I was only a fresham in Highschool. Even though I was an above average student and an exceptional athelete, I wasn't content. I found myself buying beer from a morally deficient corner store on the weekends, and sneaking 5-10 shots of liquor from the obscene amount of bottles my dad's liquor cabinet before bed most nights during the week. This went on all through high school, just in increasing levels. Three out of the four years I was in high school, I was suspened at least once for a drinking related event. Around age 17 I was able to buy liquor from a real liquor store, which increased the amount of drinking I did.
As funny as it is to me now, I was totally against using drugs in high school. Maybe smoked weed 5 times the through the whole 4 years. I went to college in 2005 and got some money to play football. I was a good linebacker, nothing spectacular, but pulled my weight. The best part was I got to go to one of the top 3 schools in the state for pre-law studies. Being a lawyer was what I wanted to do at the time, and even though my grades in high school were above average, I didn't have good enough grades to get in without the football. After my freshman year of college, I injured my knee. Even though I had taken painkillers recreationally before, this was the first time I had a strong supply. It was almost a month and a half before they could schedule my surgery back in Houston. To put up with the pain of simply getting out and about to go to class, etc, my doctor gave me a copious amount of Norco 10/325 hydrocodone/apap pills. At this time I was still able to take pretty much as prescribed for the pain, but I started taking a few extra on the weekends. After the surgery, I was told I couldn’t play football anymore, and I took it pretty hard. I started smoking weed daily, which was totally out of character for me because I used to not like the way I felt on it. I found that if I smoked enough weed throughout the day, the depression I felt from the loss of football and my greatly culminating debt from college would disappear. I started selling drugs shortly thereafter. It was something that I felt very comfortable doing, as I was naturally a people person and loved to have people need me for something. I found that I received more admiration and respect for selling drugs than for anything else I had ever done. It felt really good after the disappointment of losing football. By the end of my freshman year of college, I had experimented with every prescription pill known to man and cocaine, but still smoked large amounts of hydro every day and my pain pill usage increased to about 3 nights a week. My sophomore year of college was about the same, just the dealing and the using became more and more increased. I ended up trying every drug I have ever heard of, with the one exception being crystal meth. After my sophomore year of college, I decided I didn’t want to study pre-law anymore, and moved back to Houston to attempt to start over.
When I got back to Houston, all of my positive and well grounded friends were still off at college. The ones that were still there were a lot of the addicts and partiers that never left. I started hanging out with this group and found that I fit in very well with that group because that’s what I had become. I got in a strong partnership with a large cocaine distributor in Houston, and began to make some serious money. This only fed my addiction, as I lived in an apartment with one of my using buddies, and began to take pain killers daily. It started off with just Lorcet and Norco, but as my tolerance built, I graduated to Oxycodone and Dilaudid. I loved the way it felt, it took me out of my worries and guilt. I began to lose all inhibition towards drugs, and I felt like deep down, I was ok with what I had become. I went from a collegiate athlete at a top 3 Texas university on my way to law school, to a drug dealing addicting on my way to jail, or death. Something about the lack of expectations from my new lifestyle seemed perfect. I shortly after began to include Heroin in my dealings. I associated with some of the worst, gang affiliated people I could imagine meeting, and pulled off fitting in with these people. After being exposed to Heroin, I shot up for the first time. I had always told myself I would not be a needle junky, but like I said all my inhibitions for drugs were gone. I kept slamming it for about 2 weeks, and something in me woke up. I found myself hating the way I was feeling, I think mostly because of the “dirtiness” associated with IV drug usage. I decided to get off Heroin and go back to the oxy and weed. I managed to get my oxy usage up to, at times, 400 and 500mg a day. I was a non-feeling human. In the last few months of my using I wrecked both of my trucks, was pulled over 3 times (never ticketed or arrested), and bailed on my roommate in my old apartment.
May 3rd, 2009, I finally asked my family for help. The response I got was one of “It’s about time”; I had thought I had concealed my addiction from everyone, but as it turns out, they all knew I was an addict long before I did. They found Memorial Hermann PaRC in Houston. I stayed there in residential treatment for 16 days, followed by 15 days of intensive outpatient treatment, and then 2 months of limited outpatient treatment. For the first few months, I was content just being sober. I was on the proverbial “pink cloud” of not having to use and find ways to means to get more. After about 3 months clean, I started working the steps with a sponsor, who has been amazing to me. I finished them about a month ago, and started sponsoring others last week. It is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I work full time now, about 40 hours a week, as well as take 12 to 15 hours of college. I have a wonderful girlfriend who I have been with just short of a year, and I couldn’t ask for anything more. Thanks to AA/NA, my family, my friends, and you guys on medhelp, I am living a life I never thought possible. I hope that this is of some help to someone out there, If I can do it, we all can. Love you all!
How inspiring!! You've come a long way baby!! Congrats and God bless u with many more years.
Well, you know I was gone when you posted this, and I didn't get on here when we got home last night. Way to go on one year!!! You are proof that we can ALL do this!!!
Hey bud your story really touched me in a way i have never felt bfore. You had the world at your feet and an injury stoped your aspirations to be a footballer. Like you i have tried well most any drug and even more. One thing in your story that made me smile is when you took heroin you learned quick bfore you got cought up in the worst addiction of all heroin although addiction is addiction know matter what the drug. I lost 13 years of my life to heroin addiction. So now i congradulate you on being 1 year clean That must be one of the best feelings in your life better than any drug can give. Now you have your g/f and a lot of things going in your favour this makes me so happy. You know deserve all the happyness life has to offer and i wish you all the best my friend you have done an awesome job and i hope you continue in the life that brings you so much happyness be proud of yorself. after reading your story i know im very proud of you. All the best for the future ,,,,,,James
A year clean is fantastic. Thanks for sharing your story with us and congrats on all your success, that is something to be very proud of. Keep working it!
Thank you all for your kind words. I know we only keep what we have by giving it away, so I try to give to others what was so freely given to me: love and support. Couldn't have done it without you guys.
Great story Hometown - thanks for sharing it with us. Congratulations on your year of success - may you have many more!
Great job!! I'm glad to welcome you to the one year club. We'll do it again next year, OK? Congrats again!!
Wonderful and inspiring story my friend . Congratulations on one year and continued success in all your endeavors ! Jimmy
What a wonderful post.
You are living proof that one can do anything one sets out to do if determined enough.
You are the captain of your ship..you are the master of your fate.
Keep doing what you are doing and setting an example for all of us.
You are living proof that one can do anything one sets out to do if determined enough.
You are the captain of your ship..you are the master of your fate.
Keep doing what you are doing and setting an example for all of us.
WOW ,,,wish I could write that much,,it would literally take me hours on the computer ,anyway,,here is a shout out on a GREAT job!!!! Keep it up,,your on your way!! Peace bugz
What a wonderful, heartwarming post! Thankyou for sharing your story. You have been through so much for someone so young, you really have done so well to pull yourself back from that lifestyle. I wish you all the best, you have a great future ahead of you.
Congrats on your 1 year sobriety, you have much to be proud of!
Victoria ~
Congrats on your 1 year sobriety, you have much to be proud of!
Victoria ~
This is how we heal, knowing that it can be done....you have inspired me today and I thank you so much....I used to think the only thing that inspired me was a tab. Your story is great ..Congratulations,,,, I know it was not easy.......thanks for sharing!!!
WOW - congrats on one year! That is a pretty incredible story.. You have much to be proud of .. keep on..
Congratulations!
THIS is how it is done! It's a beautiful and heart warming story.
Keep up the good work and stay on track with your recovery.
Best of luck in school!!
THIS is how it is done! It's a beautiful and heart warming story.
Keep up the good work and stay on track with your recovery.
Best of luck in school!!
Thank you for sharing your story!.......You have inspired me many times in the past month to keep going and taking one day at a time. I appreciate it each time. You are so young and have such an incredibly bright future ahead of you. Isn't it amazing how our family members had the intuition to wait until WE were ready to get help?
Most of all..........congratulations on your ONE YEAR clean and sober day!
I am very proud of you! Please keep inspiring all of us.
Kristen
Most of all..........congratulations on your ONE YEAR clean and sober day!
I am very proud of you! Please keep inspiring all of us.
Kristen
Hey dude CONGRADS on one year thats huge and a real milestone ..from your story
you worked hard for it and now thew aftercare you are recovering great job ..I wish you many more clean yrs ahead and im glad you found what works for you...keep up the good job and keep posting on the forum we need to here about success storys like yours
good luck and God bless.....Gnarly
you worked hard for it and now thew aftercare you are recovering great job ..I wish you many more clean yrs ahead and im glad you found what works for you...keep up the good job and keep posting on the forum we need to here about success storys like yours
good luck and God bless.....Gnarly
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