Escaping Reality with Drugs | Lindsey’s True Story

Like many with addiction, Lindsey started escaping reality through substance abuse. As a result, she developed drug addiction in youth. Her belief is that unless you’ve been through addiction yourself, you’ll never be able to understand what a someone with an addiction is going through and she is totally right.

Addiction takes away your willingness to live a healthy and happy life. Which is exactly what happened to Lindsey. Before Lindsey got drug and alcohol treatment, she truly believed in her heart that she’d be better off dead.

Partying Hard to Escape the Pain

Lindsey began experimenting with drugs and alcohol in high school. Partying hard on the weekends with her friends, she didn’t want to stop. Unlike her friends, she was using substances to escape reality not just to have a good time.

The reason for Lindsey’s need to escape her emotions was her home life. Her mother was an alcoholic and violence was an everyday occurrence while she was growing up.

She couldn’t handle seeing and physically going through the pain and violence every day. So, drinking and drugging was the only thing Lindsey had to look forward too.

Although she dabbled with substance most of her life, things really took a turn for the worst when she got a job as a car saleswoman.

Pain After Car Crash

While working in the car business, you’re obviously in cars most of your day. For Lindsey, instead of getting the car deal following the test drive- the drive resulted in an accident. Which, in turn, came with many repercussions.

The accident wasn’t just a fender bender. Lindsey was in enough pain for the doctors to feel it appropriate to write a prescription and she ended up getting prescribed painkillers. The opioid painkillers made Lindsey feel alive.

They had the ability to relieve her from pain and trauma like no other drug could. However, when the prescription ran out, the pain pills on the streets were too expensive. This caused Lindsey to start using harder substances such as Heroin, Meth, and Cocaine.

While using these heavy drugs, she was living with her parents. Even though she was older, the alcoholism and violence were still ongoing from how it was during childhood.

Unable to afford moving out and not having any friends in the area, Lindsey was stuck with her parents. At this point, drugs were the only thing that kept her going in life.

Lindsey grew up living with addicted parents and despite her pain, she became addicted to drugs and alcohol herself. Developing addiction, she hurt the people she loved the most.

Substance Abuse Causes Homelessness

As time went by, Lindsey was continuing to abuse substances and ended up getting engaged. Her fiancé, at the time, begged her every day to get the help she needed and deserved. However, her addiction was in full force and she didn’t want to give up her method of coping.

Refusing treatment, she ended up homeless for some time. After living on the streets, she started thinking that treatment might be a good idea. But she didn’t make her decision to get treatment fast enough.

Lindsey ended up being arrested for trespassing and assaulting a police officer. Lindsey ended up going to jail and was sentenced to court-ordered rehab.

Before getting treatment this time, she had already been to a 30-day drug treatment program that didn’t work. She explains that the treatment didn’t work because she wasn’t willing to do the work that was needed to get sober.

When court-ordered rehab ended, she couldn’t stay clean and things got worse. Being unable to stay off the drugs, Lindsey had lost everything she’d put her efforts into achieving. After losing everything, Lindsey got extremely depressed.

She got to a place where he contemplated if life was even worth living. At this point, she felt the need to get deeper and more intensive treatment. Realizing this, she reached out to her fiancé to see if the offer for treatment still stands.

30 Day Drug Treatment Programs

Her fiancé was ecstatic that she was ready to change her life. He paid for a 30-day rehabilitation program and helped her get into sober living after treatment. She tells us that he did this for her because he saw past her addiction.

Her fiancé knew that deep down she was truly a good person. Lindsey explains that he expressed the desire for her to get a decent chance at changing her life around.

During this time, Lindsey’s life started transforming into something she never dreamed was possible. Her fiancé and she kept in minimal contact. She was grateful for everything but really wanted to work on herself and new life in recovery.

Despite this, he came to visit her and brought her engagement ring with him. Although he proposed to her many years before, the offer still stood. She wanted to marry him but needed to work on her recovery before making any decision.

Clean and Sober Living

Working on her recovery took up her time and she felt it unfair to him. Doing what she felt was right, Lindsey went to sober living and started doing everything she needed to stay clean and sober.

Even if you don’t use drugs or alcohol, you can still party and have fun. However, Lindsey, she didn’t think that partying in sobriety was a good fit for her. She took life very seriously in the beginning and it did end up helping her stay sober.

Lindsey was so serious about her recovery and doing things on her own. So much so, she even denied getting rides to 12-step meetings. She did this because she wants to remember how hard life is for someone in early recovery. Moreover, she didn’t have to go through it again.

During her eight months of staying in sober living, she cultivated lifelong relationships. Lindsey has made her first true friends because of recovery. These friends aren’t just hanging around her for the drugs she has.

Similarly, she isn’t just hanging around them for a place to stay. Today, she has genuine relationships and friendships that are dear to her heart. After sober living, Lindsey took the steps she needed to take to live a normal life. She got her license back, enrolled in school and got a job.

Working in Recovery

Her job was at a home furnishing store where she worked her way up to the top. Although money was great and life was good, something was missing. Lindsey felt the need to start working with others.

Working with others is something Lindsey has a passion for. However, she never felt that is was within reach. Feeling unfulfilled, she ended up going to Narcotics Anonymous meetings. There she met people who worked at various alcohol and drug rehabilitation institutions.

Lindsey was introduced to the owner of a recovery company. She set up an interview and got the job. Shortly after working at the addiction recovery center, Lindsey was promoted. Now she gets to work with individuals in recovery and their families.

Explaining to us that because she followed her dream, she is now doing what she loves. The reason Lindsey loves her job so much is that she understands what it’s like. She has a personal understanding of the addicted person’s side and the side of families.

Her experience and appreciation for the family side are because she grew up living with alcoholic parents. Having this experience helps Lindsey really care and feel for her clients.

She treats them as she would treat her own mother or friends. She understands how loving someone with addiction is a touchy subject and the only thing she wants to do is help families and addicted loved ones.

Aside from her job, Lindsey loves her life today. She feels blessed for eventually wanting recovery for herself. Lindsey had tried to recover for other people many times before and it never worked. However, when she reached out on her own and was willing, her life got better.

Lindsey knows what that addiction is a complex disease. Because of this, she will keep doing what it takes to stay sober. Attending meetings, doing 12-step work and keeping in contact with her higher power always is essential. She knows if she stops doing any of those things, there’s a risk of relapse. For Lindsey, relapse means death.

If you or someone you know is suffering from addiction like Lindsey once did, get help. It’s important to keep in mind that recovery is possible. You just must want it for yourself and do the work as she did.

If you are ready to recover, do the work and live a life you never dreamed possible, reach out for help (866)578-7471. We believe in you and want you to get the help you deserve.

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