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Addiction and Recovery
Finding help, finding hope
T
ales of addiction are rampant in both the local and national media. From drug busts and ODs to
violence and lives spiraling out of control, the stories are easy to come by. Less visible are the
people who survive their substance use disorder and work every day to rebuild their lives.
The decision to choose recovery is a far more difficult choice to make than the choice to use. But it’s
rarely a simple straight path to living sober. In fact, success in recovery on the first effort is quite rare. So
much so that “having tried to stop before” is one of the criteria for diagnosing addiction. Multiple relapses
are common, as are feelings of defeat and isolation. More often than not, it’s a bumpy and lengthy path to
the moment when the desire to be clean outweighs the desire to use.
The pages that follow feature a local man’s story of addiction and his ongoing recovery. He chose to
share his story in the hope that others will relate to what he’s been through and will be inspired to begin
their own journey to recovery.
As a person in recovery, Phil’s days are filled
An addiction takes hold
with challenges. The first of which he faces every
Phil is just one of 23 million Americans in recovery
morning when he wakes up.
from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. Like all
“For years, the first thing I thought of when I
of them, his intent was never to become an addict.
woke up was when and how was I going to
“I was a junior in high school just
use that day,” he says. “When I thought
looking to hang out with my friends
about using, I thought about how
and kill some time,” he recalls.
Teen risk
good drugs made me feel and the
on the rise
“It really didn’t seem like a big
good times I had while I was on
Overdose deaths among teens have
deal. The pills were easy to
doubled in the past three years, even
them. But now, after 16 years
come by. Plus, I was doing
though drug use is decreasing overall
of using including 12 trips to
some work in construction
among teens. Researchers attributes
rehab, multiple ODs, watching
the unprecedented increase to illicitly
at the time and when I was
manufactured pills containing Fentanyl
friends die from ODs, losing a
using, I was a much better,
which put even first-time and casual
close family member to drugs,
faster worker than I was when
users at risk.
losing my dream job, going to
I wasn’t. I just didn’t see how
Source: David Geffen School
of Medicine at UCLA
jail, and a whole lot of other stuff,
that could be bad.”
‘good times’ is not what I think
A few months later, the easy
about. Instead, I think about all the
access ended.
ways drugs turned my life upside down. I think
“I was kind of like, ‘oh well, that’s that,’” recalls
about what drugs cost me and none of that feels
Phil. “Then I got really sick. Like the worst sick I
good.”
ever felt. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t get out of bed,
It’s a simple shift in perspective but one that
everything hurt. It was bad and it just dragged on
Phil says helps him at least start the day on the
and on for over a week. About that same time, I got
right foot.
access to more pills. I popped a few of those and
16 | HEALTHY+ | SUMMER/FALL 2022