Recovery Spotlight: Crystal

My name is Crystal, and I am an addict.

I started using it at around the age of 12. I pretty much used it every day from that day forward. I used in some form or another crack, alcohol, pills, and anything that would change how I felt. I did not know who I was. All I knew was getting, using, and finding ways to get one more. I got pregnant and put myself in rehab. The first pass I got, I used. I went back and tried again. I did well until I left the halfway house and got my own place. Left to my own devices, I will fail. For the next nine years, I took my children through hell. I finally got introduced to narcotics anonymous in 2015. I did not get it the first time, but when my mom died, I started taking suggestions. The steps keep me close to God, and that is the solution to my dilemma today.

I know I am the problem, so I stay vigilant about my recovery so that I do not return to the scene of the crime (the old me). Today I am a productive member of society. I have custody of my children back, and I am helping them learn to deal with their feelings(hopefully). I show up, do the next right thing, and put God first. I call my sponsor, work steps, sponsor women, go to meetings, and do service work. I know this seems like a lot to the still suffering addict, but I promise the work is hard, but the pay is good. The payment is a new life. A life I never dreamed of.