Sobriety is possible – if they can do it, so can you. In this series, Avenues Recovery presents true accounts of everyday heroes in recovery.
Hi! My name is Jessica, and this is my recovery story.
The road to addiction looks different for everyone, so it’s obvious to me now that the avenue to recovery looks different too. My addiction began with experimenting, wanting to fit in, and wanting to excel. I tried many things until I found my first love, opiates. They made me feel invincible and motivated - until they didn’t. As my addiction grew, the amount and strength of opiates I needed also grew. I did all the things I said I would never do. I became the exact person I would have judged in previous years. I was on the streets, behind bars, and in such a horrible mental state that I could no longer separate fiction from reality.
When I landed in the hospital, the doctor told my mom not to get her hopes up; that I may never mentally recover from the state of mind I was in. I was at a pivotal point in my life, where my addiction could either kill me or help me live. I know what you’re thinking: How can an addiction help you live? In my case, addiction was the most humbling experience I could have ever fathomed. It was necessary to become the person I love today. After some court-ordered treatment attempts and failures, I had hit my final rock bottom. I was locked up and comfortable. I never wanted to be comfortable in jail. So, I decided to make a change. I got out, reached out, and started to do the work.
When I began working at Avenues, it opened my eyes to the reality that there are many, many ways to get sober. Not everyone’s journey looks the same. It has helped me grow in my own recovery because I no longer feel shame if my recovery doesn’t look the same as the person next to me.
