Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Josh and I am 24 years old. It all started when I was 12 years old. I first tried marijuana when I was 12 years old and I liked it so much that I started smoking it every day.

When I started 10th grade I started selling marijuana so I could get my own for free and make a couple bucks doing it. From there I began to sell more and more. When I was gaining two pounds at a time, I started using ecstasy and cocaine every day. Then I started selling ecstasy and cocaine along with marijuana, I was 16 at the time.

I was making a lot of money doing it and I got all the free drugs I ever wanted. When I was 17 years old, I lived alone with my girlfriend and we both used a lot every day. I was having a lot of traffic coming to my trailer, it was crazy. I thought I was going to get caught by the police, I was so paranoid.

When I turned 18 my friend brought some 60mg morphine pills and I snorted a couple, that must have been the worst thing I’ve ever done. I loved it so much more than cocaine and ecstasy. So I started spending the money I earned on morphine and a lot of it. Not long after, my same friend brought some morphine and needles. He was showing me how to inject myself with morphine and he was doing it in front of me so I tried it. The thrill he gave me was so incredible that he wouldn’t have it any other way.

It didn’t take long for me to spend the money I made selling drugs. I ended up spending all the money I made and didn’t have enough money to buy more drugs to sell, so I stopped selling drugs because I couldn’t afford them. I was so addicted to morphine that I couldn’t go a day without it or I would get really sick (drug sick). I started trying oxycotin, dilaudid, heroin, valium, ativan, klonopin, fentanyl patches and many more. But morphine was my drug of choice.

When I turned 19, my girlfriend and I broke up because of the amount of drugs we were doing. I ended up losing my job and couldn’t hold a job because if I didn’t have any pills I would get sick and call work. So I lost my trailer and ended up moving back into my parents house. My parents did not know the extent of my drug use and I wanted to keep it that way. But they got suspicious because I was getting sick all the time. If I didn’t have any medicine for the next day, I would get very sick.

I started stealing money from my parents so I could get drugs. He would also steal tools, rings, or anything that could earn him money to buy drugs. My parents ended up finding out that I was stealing from them and using needles on a daily basis. I hurt them so much and I didn’t even care, which was the sad part. So they ended up kicking me out of the house and I ended up living with one of my drug addict friends.

One night I was using heroin, morphine and ativan together and a lot, the last thing I remembered was going to bed. When I woke up I was in jail and I had no idea why I was there. Come to find out I never went to bed, ended up getting in my car and driving, still didn’t know where I was going. But anyway, I had a couple other drivers on the road report me because I was going 15mph in the opposite lane. This was around 5 am. The cops ended up finding me and my car in a parking lot about 5 miles from where I was staying. The police report said that I was slurring my words, that I couldn’t stand up straight, and that I looked half dead. So they ended up charging me an OWI

I sat in jail for two days sleeping the whole time and got bail. At that point, my parents found out about everything I took from them and they were so mad at me for stealing from them and getting me in trouble with the law, it was really hard on them. But I was still using drugs when I got out of jail. I even had eight drug tests a month and I didn’t care at all, I failed every drug test I took. I ended up having my bail revoked and maxed out on that charge, I did 93 days in jail.

When I got out of jail I tried to stay clean but that only lasted a month and I shot myself back up with morphine and went back to my old ways. It got worse and worse, I ended up selling my car for drug money. I started stealing from my parents again even though they let me move back into their house. And of course they found out and kicked me out again. So I started living with my drinking partner once again. I still had no job and no money.

When I was 23 years old, I was still living with my friend who was using and injecting me with morphine every day. I started shoplifting more and more. And then they charged me with trespassing, which is a 10-year felony. So once again I was sitting in jail on $50,000 cash bail, so I wasn’t going anywhere.

My first two weeks in jail I was so high. We were a rowdy 30 minute visitor every Saturday. And my parents were the only ones who came to visit me after everything I put them through, they showed me who my real friends were. The only thing you can do in jail is watch TV, play cards and exercise. He did them every day. When I went to court for sentencing, I had served 60 days in jail. I was sentenced to 6 months in jail with 3 years probation, which is not bad at all. I really wanted to get off drugs this time and I knew it was going to be a lot of work, I mean I was doing drugs for 5 years.

So when I got out of jail, I went into the Dakoske Treatment Center, which was a 28-day stay. Dakoske taught me a lot and helped me a lot. So I spent my 28 days there and my parents once again let me move. I’ve been clean ever since and feel great. I have a job, I pay my bills on time, and I almost got my driver’s license back. I attend at least two NA meetings a week. And I can’t tell you how good it feels to have your parents proud of you, it feels great.

Well that’s the story of my life and I hope you learned something from reading it. It’s going to show you there’s hope. I hit bottom and am coming out of that hole at high speed. So it’s not too late to quit! If I can do it, then you can do it!

Good luck everyone and I hope this helps!