Happiness was not something I was comfortable with. It had nothing to do with how or where I grew up it had to do with what was inside of me. I was constantly searching for someone or something to fill a void within myself. I began to find happiness in drugs and alcohol. I started experimenting with drugs as an early teen and I quickly discovered that it was what I had been searching for my whole life. These substances completed me and filled my life with joy. As my life moved forward I discovered cocaine which I abused for many years, but it still wasn’t enough and I found my drug of choice which was heroine. Within months I was using heroine intravenously several times throughout the day. It made my life manageable and worth living.

After years abusing heroine I finally wanted to get clean. I wanted to live a normal life, I wanted my family and friends to trust me again, and most importantly I wanted the mental obsession to have to use every day to go away. After many failed attempts of getting sober, I found the twelve steps of alcoholics anonymous. The twelve steps have given me my life back. I was able to see who I really was- and I wasn’t a good person. That alone made me want to get better. I was able to make amends to everyone that I had harmed throughout my life. When I was three days sober I invited God into my life and I gave my will over to him. From that day forward I have taken His guidance and prayed to God every day. Practicing the twelve steps is about being a good person and helping anyone in need, especially other addicts and alcoholics. I am currently six years sober and the thought of using heroin or any other mind or mood altering substances never enters my mind. My relationship with my family is the best it has ever been. I am confident that God and the twelve steps have saved my life and I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for this program.