I Regained My Quality of Life

 

I had a very active childhood growing up on a ranch in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

In school, I played football and was involved in wrestling and track. I skied, rode horses, and spent a lot of time around the rodeo. I tell people I was born on a horse and skis.

I loved being with my family, and one of my favorite memories from that time was a family camping trip that we took on horseback. We soaked in hot springs along a fault line and even cooked soft-boiled eggs in the hot spring water.

I started drinking alcohol—my drug of choice—in 8th grade, especially while hanging around the rodeo. What started as casual drinking turned into drinking every day on the ranch. Before long, I was losing friends and spending time in jail, mostly for fighting. I was functional, at least until about 5:00 p.m., but I spent all of my money on alcohol. I was constantly in trouble with the courts, and it got to the point where I was looking at a prison sentence.

One day, while sitting in jail, I told my lawyers that I thought I might be able to get a reduced sentence if I completed a drug rehab program. I got a flyer from a rehab facility called Narconon in Nevada that looked promising, and I decided to give it a try.

The program worked, and I stayed clean for eight years. Then I fell off the wagon, so to speak. After a few years of that, I realized that while the first program had been great, there was one thing missing: I had gone there mainly to avoid going to prison. Even so, I knew the program worked because it had helped me stay clean for eight years. So I decided to do it again, this time completely on my own choice and willingness.

This time, I went to Narconon in Oklahoma. The staff was wonderful, and along with my own determination, they helped me to get through the program successfully. I made good friends there who are still sober today, and I remain in touch with them.

One huge win for me on the program was confronting things I had done in the past and taking responsibility for them. Another part of the program that I really liked was the sauna and sweating out the drugs and toxins from my body.

“Today, I am a better father, have great relationships with my family, and have no desire to start drinking again.”

I realized that what I had really lost through drinking was my quality of life, and one of my biggest wins in the program was getting that back. Today, I am a better father, have great relationships with my family, and have no desire to start drinking again.

The key to overcoming my addiction was deciding to do something about it. My advice to others who are struggling with addiction is to love yourself enough to get out of it and to ask for help.

Edward W., Narconon Graduate