Identity Struggle Starts a Downhill Spiral
Ronny always felt different from the other kids. When he got older, he realized that he had sexual feelings for boys instead of girls. His family is Mexican and Catholic, it was hard to accept homosexuality in their culture. His mom didn’t take the news very well, which created a lot of stress.
He later started a relationship with someone he thought was the one, but things began to go south. Ronny got into a car accident and was prescribed Percocet, which he got hooked on.
At the time, he didn’t realize it, but his boyfriend’s family was deep into drugs. They were always arguing about pills, and Ronny didn’t understand why.
Addiction Sinks its Hooks In
When Ronny’s prescription for Pain Killers ended, he started to experience withdrawals. He didn’t know then what was happening and thought he was just getting sick. His boyfriend’s mom recognized it, so she gave him one of her pills.
That is when it clicked for him. Ronny thought that Percocet was something that could always make him feel better.
Abusive Relationship Pulls Ronny Deeper into Addiction
His boyfriend had become physically and emotionally abusive. Ronny worked in radio and TV, and his boyfriend didn’t like the idea of him on stage and hosting. So, he would make sure that Ronny had a bruise on his face so that he couldn’t go to work and be in front of the cameras.
Ronny turned to Percocet to help him to cope with the pain of this abuse. At this point, his use of drugs escalated as he started taking Oxycontin as well.
He started to pawn all of his valuables—cameras, mics, computers, anything. He lost his relationship and his best friend. He didn’t go to his grandmother’s funeral because he was busy trying to get high.
Ronny Steps into Recovery by Chance
One day at school, Ronny was handed a flyer about removing the stigma of addiction. This is where his life started to turn around. He reached out to a few places and things took off for him from there. He realized how many resources are out there.
He wound up on Methadone for a long time. He wanted to go to rehab but was afraid he couldn’t detox from Methadone. Eventually, he powered through and got into rehab. Those three months completely saved his life.
In rehab, he realized that he could do whatever he wanted. He found himself again, in sobriety, rediscovering hope through the new supportive community of recovery.
Ronny didn’t know that he was going to get addicted to those prescription Pain Killers when he started taking them. Regardless, things got out of hand and eventually, he found himself lost in the cycle of addiction. Asking for help liberated him out of his pain and suffering.
If you or something you love is going through something similar, regardless of the substance, there are resources out there for you too. You don’t have to keep living this way. Even if you feel lost and hopeless, change can happen. Believe in the possibility of a better today. Call (866) 578-7471 to talk with someone who can connect you with the resources you need to recover.
