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At a young age, I got involved with drugs and alcohol.

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They took hold of my life.

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My motivations were just completely towards getting the

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means to get high and drunk and that was

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what I lived for.

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I remember feeling

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alone at times.

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I didn't have anybody to talk to or relate to.

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I was in a very dark place, with

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feelings of emptiness and loneliness.

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I actually didn't really know a lot about treatment.

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I was very naive to the whole realm of recovery.

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I guess I thought that there were people

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who were like me and people who weren't and

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I was one of the ones who was destined to

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live a life full of drug use and misery.

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I got in some legal trouble and that brought

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me to Oriana House as a consequence of

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my

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illegal activity. What worked best for me was

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being able to talk to other people who had gone

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through what I was going through previously, who had experience with

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similar things and

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 came out on the other side

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in a better place.

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I needed other people to let me know I was worth it and that it was possible.

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I didn't even know there was a different way of living.

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I didn't know there were people who had done things I had done and lived similar ways

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and changed that.

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I became willing to think of other people besides just myself and consider 

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others' thoughts and feelings and how I might affect them

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because  for a long time, I thought everything I was doing

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was affecting

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just me; it wasn't hurting anybody else. It didn't involve anybody else.

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But that changed over time.

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There are people, friends, and family who care about me. 

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It did affect them. I needed to come here

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to get where I'm at now.

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I think it was necessary. Recovery to me feels like I know what peace means.

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I have a new understanding of the word peace. I'm able to

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enjoy my time and not be on the move all of the time

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and just be able to

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enjoy being still and enjoy the moments.

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I'm so grateful for the people who didn't give up on me

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because

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there's no one way of going through recovery.

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It's different pathways for everybody. 

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It might take somebody a few times until they do get it.

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But when they do, that's when it's rewarding. 

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I currently work as a recovery coach for Oriana House. I'm able to

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give back and be that person that the staff was for me

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and for other people.

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It's really rewarding. I love coming to work every day.

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It doesn't even feel like work.
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And that moment when I can see other people, and

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seeing the hope and

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knowing that there's another way to live is what makes it all worth it.