Understanding addiction when you have never battled it yourself can be difficult. Chris knows this all too well and he tells his story of addiction and teen drug smuggling. He tells us about how recovering from alcoholism and addiction changed his life for the better. Many people don’t realize how hard it can be to recover from alcohol addiction, but there are some tumultuous times that can arise.
Chris’s Early Life
As a youngster, Chris had the ideal family life and a wonderful childhood. He had loving parents who did everything they could to make him happy and feel loved. He was born in Ventura, CA and later moved to Maryville, AZ when he was four. He enjoyed riding dirt bikes and says, “I had everything that a kid could ask for.” He was working hard to get good grades in school and live the best life that he could.
His family provided him with a stable childhood, but that didn’t keep things from taking a turn later on down the road. Both of his parents were loving, supportive and present throughout his life. They stayed together for many years and tried to set an example for Chris of how he should live. Chris shows nothing but admiration and respect for his parents when he speaks about his parents.
When Chris was 12, his father took him to his first concert where he got to see Pink Floyd. Amidst the haze of smoke, he got high for the first time from secondhand smoke from the numerous people smoking marijuana at the concert. It wasn’t until later at 13 when he first smoke marijuana for the first time on his own. That was when things seemed to click, and he realized that the smell he had smelled for years from his dad was marijuana. Realizing that his father was smoking marijuana made Chris believe that it was okay to do.
When Addiction Started
Smoking weed occasionally never seemed to suffice Chris’ desires. He began to smoke more and more frequently and eventually turned to harder drugs. Going to raves in the early ’90s introduced him to many illegal substances such as ecstasy and acid.
One day his parents told him that they were moving to Texas in a week. His initial reaction was to worry about where he was going to get a new supply of drugs from when he moved. Before the move, Chris purchased a large amount of weed to take with him to his new home.
Upon arrival, he realized that everyone and everything was different. People appeared to be very violent and his access to good weed seemed to be the best way for him to keep himself from having to deal with the potential dangers his new life presented.
He began selling weed and he eventually got jumped and robbed for a half-ounce of weed at a party. He was badly injured and when he got home and assess the damage that had been done, all he was worried about was how was he going to get his next high. After being jumped, Chris made the decision to protect himself from being hurt again.
Then came the teen drug smuggling. He started hanging out with gangs and the Cartel and eventually started running drugs for them. Similar to Chris’s experience, this is how most get involved with the activity of teen drug smuggling. He also had a bad reputation of being someone that no one wanted to mess with. This began to create an ego that would be debilitating for him in the future.
The Worst Parts of Chris’ Addiction
At 18 years old, Chris found out that his mother had ovarian cancer and during his battle with addiction, he focused on himself rather than his mother. He started using drugs, even more, to try to deal with the pain that he was feeling. Three years later, his mother passed from cancer she had been battling. This is when things spiraled out of control.
Chris says “When my mom died, I just didn’t care anymore. I just wanted to numb the pain as much as possible.” He called a friend that was a known heroin dealer and started using heroin right away. It only took one shot of heroin for him to become addicted.
Even though the addiction to heroin made him stop taking part in the other dangerous activities that he had been doing, it wasn’t a good outlet for him. He started working at a major IT company and started selling drugs to other people within the business. This factor contributed to his addiction because he thought that if his bosses were able to make it so far and use heroin, then he could too. He was able to live a life that he thought he wanted to live. Eventually, his addiction caused him to lose his job and relationships with his family and friends. He became so engulfed by his addiction that he lost sight of everything else that was important in his life. His addiction took control of every decision that he made and encapsulated his life.
Finding Recovery
After being let go from his job, Chris was able to get another job with a great IT company after moving back to Arizona. He moved to get away from people who used heroin and thought he could drink responsibly. Eventually, he says “You deserve to have a little bit of heroin, is what my mind tells me.” He relapses and does heroin for eight years. Chris claims that he wasn’t able to stay sober for one day in life since he was 13 years old until he got professional help for his addiction.
Eventually, he got transferred to NY, where he got fired from his job, moved in with a dealer and then got kicked out of the dealer’s home. The dealer thought that he needed to seek help for his addiction because it had gotten so bad. He then moved in with another friend, stole his credit cards and the friend found out. Chris said that he didn’t remember using the cards and the friend said he should turn himself in to the police and he did. When he went to turn himself in, the police directed the friend to take him to get professional help. He went to Crossroads and was told he had to be able to have a clean urine test in order to get in. He couldn’t.
He went home, did a little bit more and then threw away all drug paraphernalia. He then started to detox and then tried to find his paraphernalia and couldn’t find them in the dumpster. This was a breaking point for him where he decided it was time to get clean. He was able to go into the facility the next Monday.
After going through treatment, Chris had a sponsor to help him stick with his recovery from alcohol and drugs. He started praying and stuck to the program. He was able to eventually be able to get clean from alcoholism and drug addiction and started helping others. He left behind his life of teen drug smuggling, gang affiliation, and addiction. He is now able to serve as an example to other people battling an addiction to get and stay clean. He rebuilt his relationships with his family and has the life that he has always deserved to live.
18 comments
Incidents happens in life. It’s just to find the positive perspective through this.
So much ups and downs in Chris life , like Mother death and getting fired from Jobs.
I really appreciate the strength of Young Chris to get over this. He’s done by setting an example that nothing impossible.
Chris faced a lot and I’m really Glad to know Chris was strong enough to overcome and recover.
Despite of having a nice and loving family Chris have moved to these thing due to some incident in his life. You have told this story itself shows your bravery. have a great life ahead.
At a very young age he was exposed to hard drugs and stuffs but I’m glad that he was found and ready for a positive change.
The best feeling is when you are in it. That is where you get to know where it bites most.
Difficult events have a way of reshaping our perspectives about critical aspects of life. I’m happy that Chris scaled through the hurdles of addiction. Detox, you are touching lives
Thank God you are alive to tell this story of yours. Detox rehab community is a helping hand for people like you.
This is basically a case of believing it was okay because his dad does it, and he got him this fact and that is how feel about all of this. Parents should work on what they do around their children.
This is an environmental factor. Parents should be mindful of where they take there children.
This is a very emotional and inspiring story. Chris has gone through a lot. I am happy he found the strength to overcome his addiction.
Drug smuggling is a serious crime. Good thing he was able to move away from it before anything worse happens.
I really appreciate the strength of young Chris to get over this. Many people do not realize how hard it can be to recover. That was when thing see med to click. He was bally in jured and when he got home and asses the damage.
At times your understanding about things that are not good might be a factor that will propel you want to try it. This is what actually happened to this man. Thank God he is recovered.
Chris’s life was not with its own ups and down but the way he handled the situation was bad, thank God he sort for help at the right time. Detox to rehab thank you for sharing this wonderful story of recovery.
I Always hear this in my area ” I am a pusher not a user. However, drugs can be so alluring that pushers or in this case smuggling it elevates into using it. To me addiction is a two way dynamic. Sellers and addicts go hand in hand. You rarely get a full on separation.
This is a pathetic story. Chris lost sight of everything important the moment he was into drug smuggling at such a young age. Glad he took the step towards recovery.
Why are the children with good home that are well brought up engage in addiction? They should watch it.
Chris early life was a really rough one. The exposure he had to drugs and alcohol were out of course. I’m glad he met with Detoxtorehab eventually. Keep up with the positive change.