I entered High School in 1969; alcohol, LSD. grass,.Peyote, upprs, downers/barbituates(Tuinal, seconal, Crystal clear Krylon for huffing were part of the beginning of my story, which became a regular, all day thing, especially grass, and alcohol until I encountered someone that was willing to help me get off with Heroin; and cocaine followed(speed balls were my favorite rush and high,going on a methadone progr?from 1975 till around 1980 I was addicted to heroin and surrendered to my inability to control it by going on methadone program,Soon after the methadone Valium was thrown in the mix, and occasional cocaine binge.? The Colombian's started selling it in Sunnyside, Queens, and they used to put what they called bazooka (smokable cocaine-what is left over after making a batch of the powdered and rock coccaine).? Many other pills were also added, Xanax, Percodan, percocet, Diludid was also a biggie especially during dry spells for?heroin?on the lower east side of Manhatten)the diludid was beefore the methadone program.? By 1988, I has a bad benzo(valium etc) habit on top of methadone, and in May of 88' I put myself into St John's Episcopal detox in Far Rockaway to get off the benzo's and to begin detox off the methadone program;? There, Alcholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous?had representatives, recovering addicts and alcoholics speak, and I heard the message of recovery.? I remember one speaker from NS had been in more prisons than I knew? eeven existed in the tri-state area; if he could do it, I possibly could do it!? By December 25, 88' I finished detoxing from methadone and by Janurary 7, 1989, I was off the benzos!? I entered recovery, after a month severe withdrawl, in the beginning of Feburary..?by May I began working as a door man in Manhatten which I did for the next 22 years.? After 9 years in recovery, I made the mistake of taking opiate pain meds for herniated disks.? The pain was terrible and I felt that after 9 years in recovery, I could manage pain meds again, even for legitimate reasons; big mistake.? By 2000, I graduated College with a degree entitled; "The Psychology of Addiction, and was Married in 98' and had a son in 2000!? All this was achieved by recovery and all its blessings, but I was already in the grip of a relapse but since I was functioning, I was in denial.? By 2011, I was so disabled and was given a number of powerful meds for pain, anxiety etc, hit bottom and went into rehab, and detox in NJ and 15 months later I am still clean; by the Grace of God!? My wife divorced me, and I have my son on the weekends, I had lost my job in August of 2011.? I was blessed and I'm getting??social security disability. at 58? years old?I now have a conscious contact with the God of my understanding as the 12 step programs suggest.? I am not a religious freak, but God today and the recovery I have is a true blessing.? Without this blessing, ?getting through all the unmanagibility that followed my 13 yr relapse would have been impossible.?If I can do it you can do it!?