I’m not shy talking about my past struggles with drugs and alcohol. I’ve been clean for more than ten years, and I love talking to others about the difficult, yet fulfilling, journey I have been on for many decades. I have no problem telling others my story when it comes to the different drugs I have taken, when I started using, and all of the alcohol I used to consume. Of course, I don’t remember it all! But I do talk a lot about my experiences and what it takes to become sober. If I bring it up, I usually get asked the same questions. Have you ever been to drug rehab? How did it go? Would you recommend it to anyone? My answers are yes, amazing, and absolutely. Let me tell you why.
How it all began
I won’t bore you with the little details of my problem. I will say that dealing with mental health issues in my youth was definitely a major contributor to my addiction. It started around the time my best friend and I were 12-years-old or so. Every weekend, we began stealing just a little bit of alcohol and a couple of beers from our parents, as both of them were heavy partiers. No one ever seemed to notice that their alcohol was lower after the weekend, probably because they were drinking so much of it themselves. Unfortunately, drinking was just the tip of the iceberg for me, and I started dabbling in the heavier drugs whenever I could. The harder life got, the harder I partied. I repeated this destructive behavior for more than a decade before I finally decided I had to straighten my life around.
Checking into rehab
One of the best decisions I have ever made in my life was checking into a detox and rehab clinic. Knowing that I was finally going to get some help for my addiction was like a literal weight being lifted from my back. It was like I could breathe the right way for the first time in my life! The facility I went to was amazing. The staff made me feel safe and cared for. I quickly realized that I wasn’t alone-there were so many others struggling with addiction around me! I had found a place that understood my problems and truly wanted to help. I knew right then and there that I was going to fight to get better.
What rehab was like
I’d love to tell you that rehab was a piece of cake, but I would be lying if I said it was. Detox was difficult after so many years of using. But the medical staff was amazing during this time. They helped me get over the worst of the withdrawal symptoms with medication that killed the symptoms quickly. It was difficult for the first few days, but it gradually became better and better the more the drugs left my system.
Going to therapy was a great way for me to finally learn and understand my problems in a safe setting. You hear people talk about a “safe space” a lot nowadays, and rehab is one of those places you can count on to be safe. Being able to join group therapy sessions and listen to other men and women talk about their problems often made mine seem not as bad as I thought. They also understood the feelings that I was never able to convey to anyone else.
I truly enjoyed my time in rehab. I had the chance to push the triggers of life far away and simply focus on myself. I had tried to get clean on my own before, in my own house, but I was never able to pull it off. Within days, I felt triggered to use again, falling right back into my old ways. Rehab was a place I could work on myself day after day. In fact, being encouraged to take care of yourself was a welcome break for me. There was no one else to worry about, only myself and my sobriety. Being surrounded by other people who are dealing with similar issues makes you feel like you are understood. I will always and forever recommend detox and rehab to anyone who has a substance abuse problem.
Call for help today
When you need help with your drug or alcohol addiction, give us a call at 614-705-0611. Our representatives will help you navigate the system as you take the first step to sobriety.