Yet, after I was about 12 years old it was difficult for me to face life without some kind substance in me. I needed something to cushion the harsh reality of a world that expected me to attend school. To do my chores. To work at a part time job. To be places on time.
And it wasn't long before my whole purpose in life seemed to be to live outside the mind God gave me. To stay completely out of touch with reality.
And pursuing that purpose kept me locked in cages for many years. And when I wasn't in a real prison, I was in a prison of addiction - all because I couldn't face reality.
One day, in my early fifties, the pain got too great and I decided to live a sober life. And that decision has held for over 25 years.
One of the benefits of having spent much of my life in self-destruction is that I understand what our younger clients are going through. They are just beginning to experience the pain of their addiction. All of sudden people expect them to live a so-called "normal" life - something they have no clue about.
I have compassion for them when they resist our best efforts to help them. And when they do leave to try it once again I hope they experience enough pain to make them realize it's not worth it. That’s when we can really help them.
