How It All Started
My story with addiction started when I was just 12 years old. At the time, it didn’t feel serious. It felt like something everyone was doing. I was always more of a follower than a leader, so if the people around me were using, I was going to do it too.
It started with marijuana. As I got older, it escalated to cocaine and eventually freebasing. What began as something that felt fun slowly turned into something much bigger than I ever expected.
Not Realizing It Was Addiction
For a long time, I didn’t believe I had a problem. I told myself I could stop whenever I wanted. I thought I was in control.
But as time went on, I started losing things that mattered: jobs, relationships with my family, cars, and even places to live. I tried to stop many times, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t do it on my own. That’s when I started to realize that what I was dealing with was more than just a bad habit. It was addiction.
The Turning Point
June 26 became a turning point in my life. I came to Avenues from jail, and it wasn’t my first time there. I had already been through the program twice before.
But this time was different.
This time, I was ready. I didn’t want to live the life I had been living anymore. I was tired of hurting myself and the people around me. I knew something had to change.
So I made a decision: I sat down, I stayed quiet, and I listened. Instead of fighting the process, I gave myself the chance to really learn from it.
Continuing the Work
I graduated from Avenues in July of 2024. From there, I went on to True Healing, where I also completed the program.
After that, I moved into sober living and stayed there for nine months. During that time, I focused on rebuilding my life and learning how to live differently.
Sober living gave me the space and structure I needed to grow and stay committed to recovery.
Building a New Life
Eventually, I was ready to take the next step. I moved into an apartment with one of my best friends, someone I went through the program with.
Today, we’re both still sober. Both of us are working toward 18 months of sobriety. It’s amazing to see how far we’ve both come from where we started.
Gratitude for the Journey
I’m incredibly grateful for Avenues and for everything this program did for me. It helped me find a new way of living and showed me that real change is possible.
Today, I’m not just following the crowd anymore. I’m building a life I’m proud of.
And for that, I’m truly thankful.
