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My experience as an addict
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hello. My name is (censored) and I would like to share my story of addiction, in the hopes that it can help someone else who is struggling, or know someone who is struggling, with addiction. Here is my story:
At age 17, I had gotten my wisdom teeth pulled.
The dentist gave me a prescription of painkillers to help with the pain that will follow. At first, I didn't really like them, because of the lightheadedness it gave me, but did enjoy the pain relief. A little while later, I got the rest of my wisdom teeth pulled. They gave me more painkillers. This time, I was 18, and my "friend" at the time told me to try snorting them. I agreed to try it, and feel in love with it. Later on, the same friend introduced me to a stronger painkiller called "oxy". It was a small greyish pill, and he had been given a script for busting his knee cap.
So he gave me one to snort, and it was an intense rush/high. Then my addiction started. By the time I was 21, I was jobless, homeless, moneyless, and family less. I couldn't keep a job. So in order to pay for my addiction to painkillers, I had to find a way to make money. I ender up shoplifting and selling the items to pawn shops for money. That went on for a year without getting caught. Also, I started stealing my dying mothers prescription whenever I had the chance. Let's just say I wasn't welcomed back to her house anymore... same with my father, I some money from his wallet. I did have a car, which was my home for a lonnngggg time.
Then, at 22, four months after my mothers death, my luck changed dramatically. As I was shoplifting, I was caught by secret security, numerous times, and was given several court dates, which I never went to. Then one day, as my addiction was at its worse, using "Roxy", and "H", I was caught again shoplifting, but this time, I had to go to jail; 4 different jails in different places, for a total of 5 months. For the first time, I was caught. My life had hit rock bottom. After the first week of being in jail, I was raped by four other men in the shower.
Thankfully, the guards found out, and rescued me. I was taken to the er and stayed over night for tests. Thankfully I didn't test positive for any diseases, the men who raped me got 5 more years added to their sentence, and the jail released me, but had to do my time at another jail for my charges there..... All in all, I spent 5 months in 4 different jails. During which, my grandmother passed away, and I couldn't go to the funeral. That hurt me a lot. More than you could imagine.... After my time was finally up, I was welcomed into my father's house while I decided to hunt for rehabs to check into.
Some might say that it was weird for me to do, since I was 5 months clean, but I wanted to know more about my addiction, as well as myself. I found one which was a 30 day in patient treatment, and learned a lot about the disease of addiction, as well as myself. On the day of graduating, I left feeling on top of the world. Also, they suggested that I check into a half way house, 4 hours away from my home town. I agreed. And after graduating, I was on a bus heading to start my new life. I was welcomed to the half way house. I stayed there for three months, keeping a job and paying my rent, and chairing NA meetings, until they decided to graduate me early, due to how I had changed in just a short amount of time. I was very happy to hear that. I graduated and went into a 3/4s house, which was the next step in my recovery. It was only a ten minute move. I stayed there for 4 months, paying my rent and working, and still chairing meetings.
Then I decided to move out, after falling in love with someone who was also clean. I moved in with them and their family and was treated as family. Been here ever since, and I'm the happiest I've ever been. I was once a hopeless addict, but now, through recovery, I'm a dopeless addict. It comes to show you can overcome anything, as long as you put your mind to it. I hope my story will help others. My name is (censored), and I've been clean for 2 years and 7 months.
At age 17, I had gotten my wisdom teeth pulled.
The dentist gave me a prescription of painkillers to help with the pain that will follow. At first, I didn't really like them, because of the lightheadedness it gave me, but did enjoy the pain relief. A little while later, I got the rest of my wisdom teeth pulled. They gave me more painkillers. This time, I was 18, and my "friend" at the time told me to try snorting them. I agreed to try it, and feel in love with it. Later on, the same friend introduced me to a stronger painkiller called "oxy". It was a small greyish pill, and he had been given a script for busting his knee cap.
So he gave me one to snort, and it was an intense rush/high. Then my addiction started. By the time I was 21, I was jobless, homeless, moneyless, and family less. I couldn't keep a job. So in order to pay for my addiction to painkillers, I had to find a way to make money. I ender up shoplifting and selling the items to pawn shops for money. That went on for a year without getting caught. Also, I started stealing my dying mothers prescription whenever I had the chance. Let's just say I wasn't welcomed back to her house anymore... same with my father, I some money from his wallet. I did have a car, which was my home for a lonnngggg time.
Then, at 22, four months after my mothers death, my luck changed dramatically. As I was shoplifting, I was caught by secret security, numerous times, and was given several court dates, which I never went to. Then one day, as my addiction was at its worse, using "Roxy", and "H", I was caught again shoplifting, but this time, I had to go to jail; 4 different jails in different places, for a total of 5 months. For the first time, I was caught. My life had hit rock bottom. After the first week of being in jail, I was raped by four other men in the shower.
Thankfully, the guards found out, and rescued me. I was taken to the er and stayed over night for tests. Thankfully I didn't test positive for any diseases, the men who raped me got 5 more years added to their sentence, and the jail released me, but had to do my time at another jail for my charges there..... All in all, I spent 5 months in 4 different jails. During which, my grandmother passed away, and I couldn't go to the funeral. That hurt me a lot. More than you could imagine.... After my time was finally up, I was welcomed into my father's house while I decided to hunt for rehabs to check into.
Some might say that it was weird for me to do, since I was 5 months clean, but I wanted to know more about my addiction, as well as myself. I found one which was a 30 day in patient treatment, and learned a lot about the disease of addiction, as well as myself. On the day of graduating, I left feeling on top of the world. Also, they suggested that I check into a half way house, 4 hours away from my home town. I agreed. And after graduating, I was on a bus heading to start my new life. I was welcomed to the half way house. I stayed there for three months, keeping a job and paying my rent, and chairing NA meetings, until they decided to graduate me early, due to how I had changed in just a short amount of time. I was very happy to hear that. I graduated and went into a 3/4s house, which was the next step in my recovery. It was only a ten minute move. I stayed there for 4 months, paying my rent and working, and still chairing meetings.
Then I decided to move out, after falling in love with someone who was also clean. I moved in with them and their family and was treated as family. Been here ever since, and I'm the happiest I've ever been. I was once a hopeless addict, but now, through recovery, I'm a dopeless addict. It comes to show you can overcome anything, as long as you put your mind to it. I hope my story will help others. My name is (censored), and I've been clean for 2 years and 7 months.
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