Someone very close to me has suffered from chemical dependency for years. Once a person becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol, the body rules the mind and I have come to understand the way the mind adapts to justify behaviors and help the person continue to damage their body as well as relationships, break promises, and give up the hope of a healthy, “normal” life. But there is always hope for recovery if you seek help.
“David’s” story begins with adoption, rejection by his adoptive parents when they were able to have their own biological child, teenage rebellion that led to minor bouts with the law, and then a failed marriage. Seeking a new start, he moved to a different state and opened a restaurant. Unable to control his diabetes without insurance and often alone and in pain, he began suffering from major depression and started taking pain medication he bought from a neighboring business owner. A year later he lost his business due to the economy and fell into desperation trying to get the pills his body craved.
After two years of trying and failing to rid himself of the addiction and destroying relationships, trust, and his health along the way, David finally received inpatient treatment for the dual diagnoses of depression and chemical dependency. He has since enjoyed two years of recovery while repairing connections with friends and family. He tells me that the pull of addiction is still there sometimes, but that he has learned how to respond with healthy outlets rather than relapsing. Without seeking help, David would have ended up back in the legal system, homeless, or dead. Therapy literally saves lives.
If you are struggling desperately with an addiction, if it is consuming your life and you can’t break free, you are not alone. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) National Survey on Drug use and Health, 23.5 million people over age 11 required treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol abuse problem in 2009. 23.5 MILLION people!
Brookhaven Retreat offers help for dual diagnoses clients. Whatever your past, whatever your difficulties, diagnoses, or addictions, our comprehensive, holistic residential treatment program is equipped to help you build a life worth living. Don’t lose hope - help is out there. All you have to do is ask for help to begin your journey toward recovery.
