Jack –
“I have been battling addiction for about 14 years now. I was always supported by my family during this time, although the relationships were pretty rough. I could only ever hold down a job for 4 to 5 months, and took lots of off time.
The darkest point in my addiction was my last relapse in November 2019, and this is when I decided to change. I attended 6 other recovery programs, some of which were repeats, but I felt as if they failed because I wasn’t quite ready to get sober.
When I first came to Next Level, it was very tough. I was living in the draper/deer hollow house. I was drinking daily, and I attempted suicide twice, which resulted in me being kicked out and sent to the psych ward. I had lost all hope. But I did start seeing positive influences as I recovered.
A basic day at the house for me looked like; Wake up, lunch (cereal/eggs), fix messes around the house, go to work, go to the gym, dinner, house notes, relax, shower, video games, contact others. I felt very comfortable in this environment. I became employed about 3 months after I came to NLR, and I still work the same job! I also saw probably 6 other personal successes while at the house.
When getting ready to leave, I felt very comfortable, and knew I was ready to leave. I was worried about how I would handle all my off time, and time I had to spend in my thoughts, but I felt much better equipped to stay abstinent after leaving.
My relationships now are so much better, and my family calls me almost every day! I’m also working on rebuilding my relationship with my sister who also struggles with addiction.”
