Addiction to Recovery

Watching someone with an addiction is very hard to handle, especially when an intervention is being brought up. Sometimes the person who is addicted is in denial or just pure anger. I felt a great way for someone to heal is to talk about it and my Niece agreed with me. When she told me her story i felt it needed to be heard and told to other people as i know so many people that are addicted to Pharmaceutical drugs. Here is her story:

My story began at the age of 13. After being sexually assaulted and having no one to turn to, I walked into a teenage crisis center where I met with a therapist who evaluated me and diagnosed me with PTSD. I was having night terrors and couldn't have a normal relationship with anyone. I acted out, experimented with drugs, and had casual sex with random partners. My mother met with the therapist at the crisis center soon after where they decided to put me on a series of medications for my PTSD and panic attacks. One of them being Xanax. I started with Depakote, Mellaril, and Xanax. They then put me on several different SSRI's (anti depressants) which had no effect. I slipped further into depression and began abusing xanax. First it was just a half a MG a day, then it became 6 MG a day prescribed by a doctor. I was taking 10 MG a day. Even with all of the xanax I abused, I still would seek out people with percocet prescriptions and Vicoden, I'd eat them like candy. It got so bad I sliced my leg open so I could go to the emergency room and get morphine. I stole from my mom to get money for pain pills which I would buy off of the street. At the age of 23 I overdosed on Percocet and had to have my stomach pumped. It didn't stop me. In fact my situation got worse my mom kicked me out, I had nowhere to turn. I began sleeping with men for pills and a place to sleep, putting my life at risk. I wound up sleeping on the street and being picked up by a police officer and brought to my mother’s house. She didn't even recognize me anymore. I didn't recognize myself. I knew I needed help and getting arrested was a godsend. My mom researched different treatment centers and took me to several where they treated me like I was filth. Until I walked into Cliffside Malibu, my life has never been the same. When first approaching me the staff was so caring and understanding. The facility was so comfortable I felt like I was finally home and receiving the treatment that i needed. I had forgotten what it felt like to have people care about me. After the long hard battle of physical addiction passed, my personal therapist at Cliffside Malibu helped me to identify why I needed to feel numb and helped me overcome my emotional addiction. As of now I am in college, have a healthy relationship with my family, and am finally able to cope with what happened to me. I no longer need medication, I currently see a therapist appointed by Cliffside Malibu once a week and I owe my life to them.