I checked into a drug treatment program on March 1, 2009. It was by far the best thing I’ve ever done in my life.
True sign of surrender is when I checked into a drug treatment center. I came to the treatment program because I wanted to stop using. So. my reason for checking into treatment, was because I was sick and tired of the suffering. Needing to get sober is one thing, but wanting to get sober is another. I wanted it bad, and so I programmed. That was a sure sign.
Looking back on my stay in the drug treatment program, I did a lot of kicking and screaming. The director often said that some people in the program were there “doing time,” He didn’t point fingers or call name, but I always felt like he was talking about me amongst others. I’m not entirely sure, but here’s the truth: I actually appreciated the drug treatment program while I was there. I want to make that very clear because that’s a big difference between me and some of the other brothers I programmed with.
Checking into the treatment facility wasn’t bad because, first and foremost, I didn’t use that day. I checked into the detox center sober—for the most part. I was really done. So I’ll repeat it: the day I checked into the drug treatment program wasn’t bad.
Ladies and gentlemen, I was totally ready for treatment. I was known by people in recovery because I’d been attending meetings for alcoholics and drug addicts for about four or five years at that point.
A lot of people might think I checked into the program because I was a fugitive on the run or trying to beat a sentencing in court, but really not true. Let me be clear: none of that is true. However, the pressure of being in trouble with the law while using heavily is very uncomfortable. The real point is, I was sick and tired of myself, and of the using. It was clear that meetings and outpatient programs weren’t enough for me. That’s not to say they didn’t help. Let the truth be told, those programs repeatedly told me I to check myself into inpatient treatment. Deep down inside, I knew they were right. When the pain became unbearable, it was easy to decide. I wanted to change so bad, that I finally checked myself into treatment.
Two years in a drug treatment program
I was in the drug treatment programmed for two years, and it was rough. Still, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. Today, I am a husband, a father, and I actually have a career. That’s significant for a recovering drug addict. It’s one thing to have a job, but having a career is something else entirely.
It means that I have stood still long enough, and that I stayed away from drinking and my drug of choice long enough to pull myself together. I have education, and built a skill set that turned a job into a career. Everything in my life is good today. For that, I most certainly owe God thanks.
However, I must also give an extreme amount of credit to the program I attended. The program taught me more than I’d ever known. It taught me about other people, about myself, and about staying in my own lane. It also gave me tools, a program, and a guide to live by.
While we were there, we learned more about life and about ourselves then we did about alcohol and drugs. Drug treatment doesn’t focus on drugs as much as does the individual. In fact, it’s safe to say that drugs and alcohol were only 10% of our conversations. The program showed us that even when abstaining from drugs, our problems remained with us. It taught me to stop blaming others and take accountability for my actions. Because I was willing to do that, I was able to receive the treatment of the center fully, and to flourish thereby. And flourish I did.
I spent close to two years in the program. I lived in the treatment facility for a year and a half, plus I spent an additional 2 weeks in jail.
After the program however, I transitioned into apartments affiliated with the program. This was the final stage of the treatment program. That’s what I did.
Today, I have many stories to tell, and that’s what this blog is for. There are far too many people sick and suffering from addiction, and I am going to make my voice available to those in need of help.
Alcoholics and drug addicts need to hear from someone who has been where they are. Even while I was in my addiction, there were people who cared deeply for me and continuously persuaded me to get help. They were overjoyed when I finally did. They never judged me, because they were in those same shoes once before.
As I tell my stories, share spirituality and truth, I hope you’ll reflect on your own life. Although my focus is on alcoholics and addicts, I write for everyone. Here’s why: sick and suffering addicts rarely seek help willingly. Because of that, I focus on their friends, families, and loved ones. That is, anyone seeking a spiritual awakening or guidance. I make myself available to them. If someone were to ask me how to stop drinking, using crack, or doing heroin, my answer would be the same: check into a drug treatment facility.
Looking back now, I see clearly that I wouldn’t have been able to do this without a drug treatment program. It’s not that recovery is so hard; it’s that there are too many near misses along the way. That’s what I remember most from my first two years of recovery.
So, to anyone struggling, I hope my words find you well. If you’re using, get yourself into a drug treatment center. You can do this. Signing off for now—God bless.