It seems like everyone has a different story.
God willing, the 14th of this month I'll have 26 years without a drink or drug. When I stopped I was a few months short of 52. I was sleeping in the back seat of a stolen car. I had an alcohol habit. A heroin habit, plus I used anything else I could get my hands on.
I'd start my days shoplifting some kind of alcohol. Wine, beer or whiskey: I didn't really care. When I had enough of that to get my courage up I looked for something more valuable to steal so I could feed my heroin habit.
My whole existence was built around getting enough drugs in my system so I could make it through the day. Then I'd crash for a few hours in the back seat of the stolen car I was idriving then start again the next morning.
I think what changed me is I woke up one morning and everything was gloomy and dark and hopeless. I knew that if I continued the path I was on I'd either be back in prison or jail, in a hospital, or cemetery. I thought about that for a while and decided to give recovery a decent try. To take a chance on getting sober.
I took my stolen car to a nearby detox and went to ask for help. Surprisingly, they told me I'd have to get rid of the car before they could do anything for me. So I did. I parked it a couple blocks away and went back. I've been clean ever since.
After being there 11 days they sent me to a halfway house where I spent a year. My life has never been the same.
So pain and misery made me change. I don't know what it'll take for you. Whatever it takes don't give up. Life in recovery is a beautiful thing.
