 | Biography/Personal Statement
I was smoking pot by the age of 13 and continued
throughout High School, this caused obvious problems that would
eventually force me to leave my home, my friends and my family. Like
any addiction, mine progressed to harder drugs and by the age of 21 Id
been drinking, using cocaine and getting into trouble. I began to get
depressed and to feel sick of hurting people. Hurting my family, me
friends etc... I began to feel sick of withdrawals and felt sick of
feeling sick. I figured if I stopped I could move back home. It didn't
work that way.
I had gotten clean for 10 months whilst living with a friend in West
Palm Beach, due to unforeseen circumstances I had to look for another
place to stay, I had a good job and could transfer to New Jersey where
I had some family members and where Id enjoyed sobriety before, it
seemed like a good idea and so I stayed with family before
getting my own apartment. Things were going pretty well at first.
Eventually I began to isolate, I lived alone, was not working a
program, was not going to meetings and inevitably relapsed in March of
07, I picked up a drug I never thought I would do, heroin. I thought I
could control it, boy was I wrong, it wasn't long before it was
controlling me. I started on the weekends but soon became a daily
user. It didn't take too long before I began to lose things. I lost my
job, my apartment and the respect of my family, I ended up with
nowhere to live and nowhere to go. I wanted help and my uncle who has
12 years in the program came to my aid, he suggested I called a friend
of his who had a recovery house for men who wanted to recover from
addiction. I spoke with Gez on the phone whilst at a methadone clinic,
he told me to come by the house as soon as I was done so we could
talk.
I arrived about an hour later and we spoke in the prayer room for
about 45 minutes. He told me I never have to feel that way again and
offered me a place in the House. I am currently in my second month
here and so far its been great. I've come a long way in a short period
of time, I have remained clean and sober, have got a great sponsor, a
good support network, I attend meetings daily, and am managing to hold
down a full time job. I am open to a spiritual aspect of life that I
never had before and I have found a house full of brothers that would
do anything for me...as I would for them.
While everyday might not be easy I now know that as long as I
do the next right thing, as long as I dont pick up a drink or a drug
and as long as I stay in places that are safe for me everything will
be ok.
Thats my story, hope it helps, Garrett P.
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