Addiction Recovery: My Story Let me start out by saying that I believe that there is total and complete recovery from addiction.
I do not believe the saying that once an addict always an addict.
I have been addiction free for 28 years.
Unfortunately, my Addiction Recovery did not come from going through a program.
My family was not aware of the programs available to us during my addiction.
For me it finally came down to a choice.
I had to chose between my marriage or my addiction.
Fortunately, I was in a place where I made the right choice and choose my marriage.
It took along time and a lot of work to overcome my addiction.
Finding the root cause for my addiction was key (and took the longest) but, once the root issue was discovered I began my Addiction Recovery.
Like so many addicts I started out smoking pot and progressed from there until I was doing my drug of choice daily at the expense of everything and everyone around me.
I lost precious time with my oldest daughter and many years of a meaningful relationship with my family.
During your addiction you don't really have friends, you have your partying buddies and when a crisis comes up in your life they are no where to be found.
Real friends walk with you through it all.
My addiction included alcohol as well as drugs and I drank almost everyday.
From the moment I made the choice to stop the addiction cycle in my life, it became one step at a time and it was hard.
When I began coming out of my addictive lifestyle what I found in its wake was a lot of fear and insecurities within myself, broken relationships and no real idea what I was going to do with the rest of my life.
I truly began one step at a time and one day at a time.
During my recovery my brother was killed in a motorcycle accident and through that grieving process is when I chose to allow God in to help me.
It took several years but healing came, direction for my life came and my marriage flourished.
I completed High School, graduated from College and have started my own business, which now includes a business that allows me to work from home through a blogging platform.
Addiction Recovery Is Possible Once the root cause of any addiction is identified and worked through then your main reason for your addiction is no longer a factor.
For many who remain addicts throughout their lives it is because they have not identified their root cause, are not willing to work through their issues and allow healing to take place.
Many want to remain a victim of their circumstance, not realizing what the future would hold for them if they would let go of their victim mentality.
Building a relationship with God was key for my recovery, it is through that relationship that true healing took place.
My desire for drugs and alcohol is completely gone.
Through building a relationship with God my self worth was restored, relationships were restored and I discovered a sense of purpose for my life.
Through my recovery I gained the skill set needed to become a better wife, mother, friend and employee ( which now has become a business owner).
My road to recovery could have taken a much different route if we had known about the programs available to us.
Programs for addiction recovery are valuable tools, not only to the addicts but to there families as well.
Addiction Recovery and Programs Although I ultimately gained freedom from my addictions a program for addiction recovery would have been a great benefit to me.
Programs offer support systems, counseling, aide in identifying your triggers.
Programs offer tools that you can use throughout your life for several situations that you will face.
Programs also offer you the opportunity to get out of your familiar surroundings which aides in your recovery process.
After several years of addiction recovery I began working for Teen Challenge which is a faith-based addiction recovery program: First as a Development Director and then as a Program Director.
While this is an excellent program there were some additional steps that I wanted to offer those seeking help, so my husband and I opened our own recovery program and for a few years we welcomed those seeking help into our home.
They lived with us for about a year and we worked with them step by step, it was one of the most rewarding experience I have ever had in my life.
We closed the program because we knew it was time to move in a different direction with our lives, but we are always reaching out to those looking for help themselves or a family member looking for help for one that they love.
I am getting ready to start doing some volunteer work with a program in our area.
Working to help addicts overcome their addiction is very rewarding work and it is something that I will be a part of for the rest of my life in one way or another.
If you or someone in your family is suffering from addiction, research recovery programs and you will find the right fit for you.
Allow yourselves to heal, allow yourself addiction recovery and to lead a fulfilling life.