Heroin Addiction: My Family Saved My Life

by Mike
(Pittsburgh,Pa)

I was always learning things the hard way throughout my life. Drug and alcohol addiction was no exception. I thought I had it all figured out. I had a successful career in the entertainment industry, "Living The Dream" as I often called it.

I've traveled to just about everywhere there is to go and thought that I was smarter for it. Partying had always been my path of choice for recreation even when still in high school.

When I was around 21 I started using cocaine. When I was 22 I was using it all the time. I always had it on me. Even when on an airplane. Around that time I started using oxycontin and heroin. So to fast forward a bit, By the age of 26 I was addicted to alcohol, cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin. At the time I could afford all of that (barely) at around $3,000 per week.

Fast forward to when I was 30 and it just goes down hill. I was driving my car for a theft ring just to stay well. My apt. turned into a crack house and I had a few very bad people that would not leave! There was a high amount of traffic at my place day and night. The police started to watch me and I got arrested a few times on multiple felony charges. Thank god my family helped me get a fantastic lawyer because I got all charges dropped!

This is about the time when they were sending me money constantly. I owed money to very dangerous people and they broke my jaw in two places. (While I was sleeping!) I was having a dream that some one was punching me in the face, and when I woke up, well somebody was. Finally my family drove over 2,000 miles to come and get me out of there. It was the best thing that could have ever happened.

I'm 33 now, and living a clean and sober life so far. I know it's considered early for me to get too cocky, but as of right now, I'm Livin The Dream again! Without my family's help I know that I would have been dead or in prison. I owe my existence and sobriety to them.

Please visit my web site for more info about my story www.pressingtheissue.com