Overcoming Addiction and Not Quitting when the Going Got Tough

 

I was born in Forest Gate Hospital and raised in East Ham. My life before doing drugs was normal, I had a great childhood and a good life. My childhood was full of so much laughter and happy times. One of the happiest moments in my life I can remember before I started doing drugs was when I boxed as a teenager in the Essex finals and won the match against a kid who was undefeated, I felt like I was on top of the world.

I first started using drugs when I was 13, I smoked cannabis—a friend of mine offered it to me. He had gotten a joint from his older brother.

Early on, taking drugs affected my education. It made me lazy and made me not want to study for my exams. My family was extremely disappointed with me when one day my mum caught me rolling up a joint. Later on in life, it affected my children and those around me. I lost my marriage, it resulted in the loss of my family home and me having to go to rehab to get clean.

What led me to come to Narconon wasn’t a particular event, but over time, things spiralled downward more and more for me. It was getting out of control. I tried to beat the problem on my own many times and couldn’t succeed. It was affecting my day-to-day life, and I kept going around in circles.

My cousin was at Narconon and I had another cousin who was on the programme many years back as well.

When I first arrived, I didn’t feel so great, to be honest. I was down in the dumps and was on a comedown. The staff were very welcoming and helpful. What comforted me was the fact that I was no longer going to be drinking and taking drugs whilst here, my temptation was out of my control. What made me stay is that I committed to getting clean and sorting my life out. I didn’t come here to leave early, I didn’t come here to fail.

“Over time, things spiralled downward more and more for me. It was getting out of control. I tried to beat the problem on my own many times and couldn’t succeed.”

My biggest wins on the programme were: 1) I managed to put my life into perspective of what’s important and what is not. 2) I managed to come back into reality and see what was actually important to me 3) I managed to find my resilience and strength and see that there was light for me at the end of the tunnel. My perceptions changed so I could I see that I was still a good person and I could bring a lot to my life and the people around me. I learned to value my life again.

I feel brilliant and so proud to be able to say I succeeded. I am so happy and positive about my future but also intrigued to see how it’s going to be on the for me now.

Being with my children and living a normal life will be more than enough for me.

My proudest accomplishment is not quitting when the going got tough. Some of my family and even I had doubts that I would be able to see the programme through. But I did and am so proud to be able to say that.

My relationship with my family is better than it was when I first came here; they obviously wanted to see me succeed. The only reason why my relationship with my family was strained before I came in here was because they wanted the best for me. They could see that the alcohol and drugs were tearing me apart.

My favourite thing about being drug-free now is my mind is now clear, and I know I will be able to take any situation that is thrown at me head-on without letting any stress get to me.

The advice I’d give someone who is in active addiction now is that if they’re thinking about doing the programme, deep down they must know they need one. Don’t waste any more time to get back to living a normal life. It’s the best thing I could have done, and am so glad to be able to say I have a second chance.

G.B., Narconon Graduate