By Tracey Helton Mitchell, author of “The Big Fix; Hope After Heroin“
When I quit using drugs eighteen years ago, there were few alternatives for those seeking recovery. At 27 years old, I was pulled out of a dirty hotel in handcuffs. I was quickly told I was an “addict” that had little chance of success unless I followed rigid rules. Yet, I felt much more engaged in my own process when I thought about the potential benefits of staying off drugs. There was the reintroduction of my family. There was the return to work which gave me a feeling of self reliance. There was the joy I felt from simple things like taking myself out to the park on a warm day. There was meeting new friends, going new places, seeing the world through a new sober lens. When I gave up one thing- drugs- I gained everything. Instead of focusing on a recovery that was based on what I had lost, I began to focus on all the wonderful things I was able to gain (and keep!) by not getting high.
None of these changes were easy at first. The transformation from a street “junkie” to a successful mother of three took place incrementally. The changes I made took place so slowly, I could not always recognize them. By plotting things out on paper and reviewing them with my peers, I began to see how far I had come over time. I learned to accept my past for what it was- history. I learned to manage cravings by putting them in their proper place. A craving, to me, is a memory. It only has power when I waste my energy on it. I kept moving forward until the hours became days became weeks became months became years. I can only speak for myself when I say even the most hopeless of users can stop with a plan and support.
