NyMets89

Drugs and alcohol have greatly affected my family and I directly. My mother was an alcoholic for 23 years. By the grace of god, she has been clean and sober for 9 years. Growing up I never understood why she needed to drink on a nightly basis. As I got older, I realized she had depression and anxiety issues and alcohol was her way to cope. The alcohol was a bandaid to mask her suffering and it was not until she dealt with her depression and anxiety through the help of physiologists and Alcoholic Anonymous that she was able to stay sober.

Growing*up as a child I was always active. I had a love of sports, whether it was attending New York Rangers and New York Mets games with my father, watching them play on TV and participating in organized team sports.I moved to a new town with my family before starting high school and became shy, anxious and fell into a depression from not having friends in the new school. This changed when I made the freshman baseball team. I made friends with my teammates and felt like a brand new person. It wasn't until I was invited to a party after the season that my life was changed forever. At the party, my friends were smoking and drinking and encouraged me to join in. I knew it was wrong but the peer pressure I felt was too intense to say no. This was the first time I got drunk and smoked marijuana and I instantly fell in love with the feeling. That night would prove to change my life forever.

All I wanted to do from that point on was get high and intoxicated. I quit playing sports and attending sporting events with my father. I started hanging out with people who used drugs and drank. Soon enough, marijuana and alcohol was arnot enough. My senior year of high school I was introduced to OxyContin. This is antwhen my drug addiction took off. I did everything I could to obtain the drug. Every dollar I had saved up in high school was spent on OxyContin. Once the money ran out, I began stealing from my family to support my habit.*
*Soon enough, shorty after I started college, I began using heroin. It was cheaper and easier to obtain. I was very much in denial about my addiction. I was going to school full time and working while using heroin everyday. This went on for 2 more years before the day my life would change forever.*

I remember using heroin on the morning of March 10, 2011. The next thing I knew, it's 4 AM in the morning and I'm on the floor in my bathroom in a pool of blood. My right leg and left arm was completely numb. I crawled to my cell *phone and called 911. At the hospital I was in a life and limb threatening situation. I had emergency surgery on my leg and arm. My family and I were told I may not make it out of the operation alive, and the chances of the surgeon having to amputate leg and arm were high. Luckily I survived the surgery and the doctor was able to save my limbs. I spent two months in the hospital and another two in a nursing home. Two years later I still have nerve damage but am I am very grateful to still be alive. Through this experience I vouched to never touch another drug in my life again* with plans to become a drug and alcohol counselor after I graduate from college next spring.

*I recently relapsed last week on Xanax and now am experiencing cravings all over again. I have anxiety issues from not being able to find work since my "accident". Which I believe lead to me using Xanax. It's hard enough to find a job but with me I have limited use of my left hand and walk with on afo on my right leg due too the nerve damage/ foot drop I have.

Impurrfect

((Ny)) - Welcome to SR! You've found a great place full of people who understand addiction on a personal basis. I know it's always helped me, knowing I'm not alone, and I think you will find the same

Hugs and prayers,

Amy