I am 54 years old, and used drugs heavily and daily for 35 of those 54 years. I was the classic “functioning addict.” I worked, held a good job, and abused drugs every day. I had everyone including myself fooled. In recent years I began to hear an inaudible voice. “Craig, why are you throwing your life away? I have so many gifts yet to give you, and so much more for you to do.” I am convinced it was God speaking, but I continued to use.
A routine health screening indicated that finally after all those years, the drugs were taking it’s toll. I was finally forced to make a choice: sobriety, health and life or drugs, illness and an early death. I needed drug addiction treatment and I chose sobriety, health and life. I have not had a drink or used drugs in ten months. How did I do this? I got my ass up, found the nearest drug treatment center and dove in headfirst. Where I landed was at a high-end residential drug treatment center. I opened my ears, shut my mouth and listened for the first time in many many years. What I heard was “hope,” and today I am hopeful.

My name is Barbara and I’m a 26 year old drug abuser. I’ve had a lot of success at a drug abuse treatment center. First of all, being sober is one of the best successes I’ve ever
had. Because of great, loving drug abuse treatment I’ve been sober for 62 days so far and it’s been great. I’ve learned how to confront my drug abuse and now I’ll be able to confront any situation I might walk into and be able handle it in the right way. The people at my rehab are fantastic. Afterwards, I felt like a whole new person. I felt more active, more awake, and more ambitious. I never thought I could conquer my substance abuse, bit I did and I am a happy recovering addict. Treatment taught me how to live again. I can’t wait until I have a chance to give back to others just as they have helped me. I want to thank all of the staff and students here for helping me get my life back. If you ever need any help, for any drug or alcohol abuse, I hope one day someone like me can help someone like you.

My little brother died of a heroin overdose. He died alone in a small hotel room in a foreign country. He’d want me to tell you, tell the whole world, that you don’t have to go out like that. He was a good guy, a loving, fun, smart guy. But he was also a drug addict. He didn’t want to die, he just didn’t know when to say enough. He would have wanted me to tell you about drug addiction treatment. His best friend, another serious partier, and probably another addict, works at a rehab in Los Angeles. While we both live in the same city, we don’t see that much if each other. I wish we did, but we don’t. It makes me fell good that his friend is sober now, and helping other addicts recover from their addictions. It’s a cool part of the cycle of life. While I miss my brother dearly, and wish that he was still with us. I do understand that his death helped others live better lives in a weird, cool way. My brother loved his friend and while I don’t know it for sure, I like to believe that one reason he got sober and is now helping other addicts is that he knew and loved my brother.

 

Addiction treatment is never anything more than a means to end. Addiction treatment patients, after all, don’t enroll in private addiction treatment programs just for the sake of the enrolling. On the contrary, addiction treatment patients enroll in exclusive addiction treatment centers because they want to get sober. Because they need to get sober. And the only meaningful addiction treatments facilities, obviously, are those that can help addicts get where they need to go.

Addiction treatment, when it works, is driven by addiction treatment patients themselves. Here’s an obvious point: No one else can get sober for you. The addiction treatment center process must be an intimate one, because addiction itself is an intimate disease. If you’re going to get better, you’ve got to do it on your own terms, and through your agency. And your California addiction treatment program has got to give you the power to do it.

Even luxury addiction treatment, when you really get down to it, isn’t a spectator sport. It can’t be. If you’re going to get better in an addiction treatment center in Los Angeles or Malibu, it’s going to be because you play an active role in your own addiction recovery. Anything less just isn’t good enough.