172 - Steve the Intern at Rock Recovery Center - Shares his experience getting clean and sober and why he chose to work in the field of addiction

"I knew I didn't like myself, but I didn't even know myself." -Steve

Today, Ben and I are chatting with Steve, our intern at Rock Recovery Center, who will celebrate 12 years of sobriety this week! Steve has been with us since January. He is attending university for his bachelor's degree in social work, and we are excited to have him on the show today to talk about his recovery and his work here at Rock.

What Steve is Contributing to Rock Recovery Center

Being an addict in recovery, Steve understands our family's struggles and challenges here we at Rock Recovery Center go through regularly. "I think I can contribute to working with young adults, as I was a young adult when I decided to go into recovery." His parents sent him into recovery, where he was able to get back on his feet and stop living the junkie lifestyle that was "exhausting."

Steve's History of Drug Use

Growing up with Crohn's disease, Steve was in and out of the hospital dealing with the medical implications of this auto-immune disease from the time he was 11 to the time he was 17. The doctors had put him on high doses of Prednisone, destroying his hips, resulting in Steve's use of crutches and a wheelchair to be mobile.

Steve dealt with many different side effects from being on long-term, high-dose steroids, such as excessive weight gain, which kids at school bullied him about daily. He also grew up in a chaotic household with his parents constantly arguing until their divorce.

He started his abuse of drugs by smoking pot in his late teens. He remembers smoking pot and telling his friends he didn't want to not feel stoned. Steve had a hard time emotionally and used marijuana to self-medicate. By the age of 22, he was homeless and smoking crack daily in his car. "My life spiraled so fast from using Oxycontin and Roxie's - the next thing I know I'm smoking crack."

Listen in and find out Steve's big wins from his 12-year sobriety, what steps to take to bring yourself out of the addict's mindset, and why Steve chose to work with addicts in a recovery center.

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Show Notes:

• [03:46] Why Steve decided to work in the substance abuse field.
• [06:17] His battle with addiction and becoming homeless.
• [08:20] Steve's history growing up and how he became addicted to drugs.
• [17:03] Biggest sobriety accomplishments to date.
• [23:21] How to get ahead of the game when you're working on getting sober.
• [25:17] What draws Steve to work in a therapeutic setting.
• [33:19] Steve's future and what he is planning to do in the next five years.

Episode Links and Resources

• Real Recovery Live Chat
• Real Recovery Talk on the Web
• Real Recovery Talk on YouTube
• Leave Real Recovery Talk a review on iTunes
• Rock Recovery Center
• Real Recovery Talk on Facebook
• Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com
• Podcast editing and show notes by Pro Podcast Solutions