Recovery Stories

(Disclaimer: This story was received written in Spanish. The original letter can be found at the end of the english translation. The translation was made using a literal translator and then I attempted to make sense of the literal translation. In some places this was easy, in others, not. If you find any glaring errors that need correction, please send me an email and I will correct them. The names were removed on purpose. Thanks.)

I will be 52 years old next June 5, I have 4 sons, three from my first marriage and one from my second. I first started smoking between 11 and 12 years old, I had my first drink between 12 and 13 and my first marijuana use at age 14. After this my life climbed into a pit of despair using amphetamines, peyote, LSD, cocaine and hallucinogenic mushrooms. I both free-based and injected my drugs.

I want to emphasize that my drug use began at such an early age. It is so important for parents to know what their kids are doing, where they are going and whom are they hanging out with. There are also the cases where the parents almost encourage drug use through not being involved and tolerating use by their children. When we start using so young we quickly need more and more of the drug to get as high as before.

I have been a user of drugs and alcohol most of my life, starting at the age of 15, when a friend and I raided my Dad's closet for his selected favorites. As a result, we both ended up in hospital. My friend having to have his stomach pumped. Not only did I steal but I also lied as to how we became intoxicated. Thus began 20+ years of lying, stealing, crime, violence, gangs, guns, bad associations and bad choices.