Here's a national story from the Recovery Month website:
My freedom from the bondage of more than
20 years of drug use began with my arrest in April 2004. I was tired of
using drugs, but I didn’t know how to stop. Addiction not only cost me
my freedom, but also the custody of my daughter. This arrest pointed
me in the direction of the DC Superior Court’s Family Treatment Court
program, which gave me the opportunity to save my life and regain the
custody of my little girl. I entered the program in April 2005, when I
admitted that I was powerless over my addiction, and my life had become
unmanageable.
While in treatment, I realized I didn’t have to put myself or my
daughter through the pain and humiliation of my disease ever again if I
just didn’t use drugs. During my 21 months in the Family Treatment
Court program, I learned how to really live on life’s terms and made the
commitment to never use narcotics again. I’m not going to say it’s not
a daily struggle, but like any other health condition – diabetes, heart
disease, obesity – life changes are required in order to thrive.
Stopping drug use is the beginning, but staying off is daily
work. Recovery has become my most prized possession. I’ve gained
control over this area of my life through 12-step meetings and a
sponsor. I fight the disease of addiction one day at a time.
Today, I love my life, and I am grateful for the challenges that
have come my way. Successfully overcoming these obstacles has made me
so much stronger and has given me confirmation that I can, and will, be
able to deal with anything that comes my way without the use of drugs.
My daughter and I have a bond that I can only describe as a grace from
God. I wish more people facing a substance use disorder could
experience the joy and gratitude that I feel when I wake up in the
morning in my right mind, in recovery. -Karen
To view more stories like Karen's, visit the "Voices of Recovery" page on SAMHSA's Recovery Month website.
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