Andrew’s Road to Recovery Story
My name is Andrew, I am 30 years old and I am an addict and an alcoholic. Growing up I always had an addictive nature so when I started drinking at 9 and using drugs at 14 it was with no surprise with hindsight that I became addicted. Drugs and alcohol quickly took over my life and became my focus and priority over everything else.
I lost focus in my hopes and dreams for myself as my addiction grew and created more and more consequences in my life. From the age of 16, I went from rehab to rehab never grasping how devastating a problem I had and never being able to find a road to recovery. The many facilities I went to either could not help me or I was unwilling to be helped. Each time I went back to using drugs, the consequences became worse and worse until I was living on the streets with drugs being my only focus or care in life. I had either lost contact with my family or they had almost given up on me except for my mother who decided to give me one last chance.
Houghton House’s road to recovery for addicts and alcoholics
Thankfully, she arranged for me to go to Houghton House in her last attempt to save her son. I spent 1 month in Houghton house’s primary care centre, 3 months in their secondary care centre called the GAP and then moved into their halfway house where I have been living for over a year and a half now. Here at Houghton, I have discovered a new hope for myself and my life. Houghton provided me with a platform to challenge the issues of addiction in a safe and sober environment. Through their groups and counselling staff, I was able to face my road to recovery and my addiction, and learn to believe and love myself again.
Learning to stay on the road to recovery
The road to recovery is not easy, it is the hardest thing that I have ever had to do, but it is also the most worthwhile. At Houghton House, I have had to relearn how to live. I have learned how to deal with and manage my emotions in a sober way without the crutch of drugs or alcohol. I have learned to believe in myself again that I am capable of being able to live life sober, clean, and serene. I have had the opportunity to be able to reconnect with my family. I speak to both my mother and father regularly again, something that I never believed was possible, and I believe that they are proud of me and the work that I am doing.
Clean road to recovery for nearly 2 years
I have now been clean for 22 months and I never could be happier. I finally see a future for myself without drugs and alcohol, A road to recovery is something that I never believed to be possible. I have learned how working a strong 12 step program and helping others who are also suffering from addiction, can not only keep me clean and sober but also make me proud of who I am. That is why I have started studying psychology and counselling and working at a treatment centre to hopefully be able to provide people with the help that was given to me. I firmly believe that if I didn’t have the opportunity to get sober that I did, I would be dead by this point. Instead, I am a sober and happy person who is excited to continue his road to recovery in life sober knowing that I have the tools now to face any challenges that life throws my way.