Hi there, I am a 41 yr old former Marine and I spent 7 years of my life as an addict. I was first introduced to opiates by a friend that just said " hey, you should try this ", so I did, and I fell in love instantly with prescription pain killers. I started out just getting some occasionally for a fun weekend. After several years of that I began depending on them just to feel normal. After several more years of that I was totally dependant on the drug just to function. The withdrawl became so severe that I began planning my income on just obtaining pills, it ruined my finances, destroyed relationships and crippled my self confidence and motivation. I literally became psycotic and suicidal. Everyday life and minor stress would completely shut me down. Some tragic events in my life including my father being diagnosed with terminal cancer pushed me over the edge. I began to steal my fathers oxycontin just to survive, my mother luckily counted his pills and confronted me about it, I confessed to taking them and immediately checked myself into the hospital to detox. I never before thought that I would wind up here, but there I was, beaten down by addiction. i discoverd NA and AA the first day and didnt really recognize its power at first. After detox for 10 days and spending my birthday in the hospital psyc ward, I began a 6 month outpatient rehab center, DCCD, in NC. It was a 12 step program based group therapy, that met 3 hours a day 3 days a week, ZERO TOLERANCE FOR MOOD ALTERING SUBSTANCES, It was a long hard battle but without the group and AA, NA, I would have given up and probably be dead now. In the begining months I thought that I would never be the same, I would never be able to cope with stress and deal with everyday life, I had an impending doom. Well guess what, after several years of increasing stability and consistant 12 step meetings I made my way back from near death to becoming a very successful and sober man.

Your attitude and will to live will be your best tools to move forward, get yourself a support group that you can trust and always be accountable to them, you will have to burn bridges with some folks and stay away from some places but new and exciting people will be around you that truly want to help you beat your addiction. If you are in need of help because of addiction i am telling you right here and right now, YOU WILL GET BETTER, YOU WILL HAVE A GREAT LIFE AGAIN, YOU WILL BE WHATEVER YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO BE. It is all up to you, if you want it it will happen. start with this prayer, "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Live your life with this prayer and you will succeed. I hope my story will help someone struggling with addiction, It can start right now, call someone for help, dont be afraid to admit your problem, You have to want it for yourself, if you do , then it will happen. Thank You