I was raised in a very supportive, close knit family. We spent a lot of time together when I was growing up, and we were always going on family trips together. In school, I was considered the perfect “A” student. On the surface, it appeared that I had it all together, but nothing could be further from the truth. By the time I got to high school I was already smoking, drinking and passing out on a regular basis, and by age 19, I was using crystal methamphetamine intravenously. As a result of my extensive drug use, I’d run out of money as soon as I had it in my hands. As it turned out, I owed my drug dealer some money that I couldn’t pay back. High on meth and cocaine, I went on a crime spree, robbing a popular fast food restaurant in the process. Celebration of a one-year anniversary with my girlfriend turned into an overdose behind the wheel of my car. I got into an accident and nearly killed myself. At the time I wish I had, because landing in state prison was hell.
My life turned into nothing more than a series of alternate trips to prisons and institutions as a result of my meth addiction. Prison did nothing to combat my addiction; in fact it was prison life that kept my drug habit alive. My most recent sentence was a three-year stretch, and it was clear to me that my life as an outlaw, drug-addicted convict was in full swing. If I wasn’t locked up somewhere, then I was living in a homeless shelter, trying desperately to pull myself together. I was an addict, and I believed that this was the way addicts lived. So I figured it was only logical that I was going to die this way.
The longest I had ever managed to keep myself clean was 90 days during inpatient treatment, but each time I left another facility, I’d just start using all over again, and my cycle would continue. Drug life was all I knew, and overdosing and seizures had now become regular occurrences for me. My life was so out of control that by the time I was 35, I had already served nine jail sentences and had been through seven inpatient programs.
Needless to say, by this point my entire family had already had enough of me. I hadn’t been raised to live this way, and they had no idea how to deal with me or my problem. It finally got to where I knew I was out of options and just didn’t want to live my life that way anymore.
As a last resort for help, I reached out to my parents. They spoke to a professional who was familiar with the PROMETA Treatment Program. Shortly after their discussion, I was evaluated at the PROMETA Center®. I expected to see an unfriendly, hospital-like setting, but it turned out to be a calm and relaxing environment. The staff made me feel very comfortable, as they took the time to answer every question my parents and I had. The staff explained to me what I should expect during the PROMETA Treatment Program, and reassured me that they wouldn’t begin the program until I felt comfortable moving forward with the next step. I still wasn’t ready. When I finally spoke with the physician about what the PROMETA Treatment Program was designed to do for someone who was suffering like I was, and experiencing the cravings that I felt, I knew in my heart that I was ready to begin the program.
After completing my medical treatment in the PROMETA Treatment Program, I experienced no cravings. That was miraculous for me to be free of my cravings. In the past, if I had one thought that told me to get high, and that’s what I would do, on the road again to a merciless and hopeless life with no end in sight.
Since the PROMETA Treatment Program I haven’t experienced any cravings for drugs at all, which is remarkable for me. I am enrolled in college full-time now. When I was getting loaded I couldn’t even think of going to college, much less taking a class, because I knew I couldn’t retain information for very long.
My claim to fame has always been that I was a terrific screw up who was good at ruining any chance I had in life. Now I can say that I’m a very fortunate guy who was blessed with the love of my family, who didn’t give up on me. It’s a great feeling to be trusted by my family after so long and to see how excited they are about the successes I have in my life.
I support my recovery now by surrounding myself with other people who have an honest desire to change their lives like I do. Giving a guy like me a chance to get off drugs proves that the real person trapped underneath can surface and come back to life again. The PROMETA Treatment Program and the PROMETA Center staff went above and beyond what I thought they could do for me. I can’t say enough about the good things that are happening in my life. Thank you for giving me the hope for a life I always knew was out there for me. Now, I’m able to claim it as my own, and experience it.
Robert
Newhall, CA
