Adam was previously featured on True Stories of Addiction about six months ago. We decided to follow-up with him to get an update on where he’s at in his recovery journey. We will do these updates once a month going forward with our TSOA series.
Adam started using drugs at 13. He used everything from Marijuana, Alcohol, Prescription Pills, Heroin and Meth. Adam has accumulated over 26 months of sobriety. He recently received a promotion at work, which allows him to work with alumni from the rehab he went through.
“It’s really rewarding to see these newcomers get out of treatment and you see them at meetings attending alumni events,” Adam said.
“The flip side is you see a lot of people you know don’t make it.”
In Adam’s eyes, he can’t let that mess up his peace of mind—or his inner chi. In the last two months he’s had to attend two different funerals. Both of the funerals were for people in their 20’s.
“It pushes me to do better so my family doesn’t have to go through that heartache,” Adam said.
Staying Connected, Staying Sober
Adam tries to attend three to four meetings a week. He does service activities. He’s infinitely invested in his recovery.
“I base my life around my recovery, not my recovery around my life,” Adam said.
One of the reasons why he does that is because a bad day for him can bleed so easily into drug abuse.
“When a drug addict like me has a bad day it’s unfortunate that the option to use is always on the table,” Adam said.
“I’m an addict through and through. Every fiber of my being is an addict. I’m going against the grain being sober.” As such, it takes every grain of his being to maintain sobriety.
In order to maintain sobriety, Adam needs to take it one day at a time. And sometimes, he argues, it’s minute by minute. He believes that’s especially true for newcomers.
For Adam, the mystery of recovery compels him to continue on.
“It’s not worth it to trade the unknown of recovery for the known misery of getting loaded,” Adam said.
What Mysteries May Come
The mystery of it all compels him to seek out life, rather than hide from it. “Today I am free from active addiction. What that looks like for me is that I’m free,” Adam said.
“I have no restrictions. I can go cliff jumping. I have this group of friends who I go with on adventures. Today I want to explore. I want to play Pokémon Go and walk around 10 miles. It’s such an amazing feeling.”
In October, Adam is taking some alumni to Havasupai Falls and the Grand Canyon. He’s grateful for this opportunity and the knowledge that he won’t be dope sick up there. He’s grateful for not having to worry as much in life. He believes it’s all taken care of with his faith.
“Living in God’s will was foreign to me in the beginning, but today there is no other way to live. When I live in my will, it’s not pretty,” Adam said.
Learning Lessons, Moving Forward
One of the greatest lessons Adam learned is that he is not a bad person and he wasn’t a bad person when he was in active addiction.
“I’m not a bad person when I use, I’m a sick person. I’m not a thief; I’m not a thief; I’m not a liar,” Adam said.
“If you are out there struggling, give it a chance. It’s a beautiful life to have. I don’t wish addiction on anybody,” Adam said.
