148 - Tony shares his experience with addiction- His first time in treatment and where he wants to go in the future

"There's always hope, you have to take the first steps." -Tony

In today's episode, I'm talking with a current patient who has been with us at Rock Recovery Center for three weeks and is 31 days clean today! He is 37 years old and comes to us from Detroit, Michigan.

His sister would take care of him and his siblings, as his mom was "in and out a lot" as a result of her addiction to drugs and alcohol. He didn't lead a "normal" childhood life and grew up on the rough streets of Detroit. Tony remembers visiting his aunt and cousins, who lived down the road.

When his father found out where he was living, he drove to Detroit and moved in with his mom. They were trying to mend their marriage when his dad died of an asthma attack in 1992 when Tony was seven years old. Tony found himself in the same previous situation with his mom's addiction and his unstable childhood.

Tony and his siblings were dispersed among both sides of the family, he ended up with his grandmother and a violent uncle. At the age of 16, Tony decided he had enough and left his home to find his mom. He enrolled in school and stayed with his mom.

He grew up in and out of foster care as a result of his mother's addiction and ran away from the group home where he was living. At the age of 17, he remembers meeting up with other kids who ran away and recalled taking his first drink of alcohol. "I don't know if I liked it, but I did notice that it got me out of myself. It made me more comfortable with my surroundings and what was going on at that time."

As a child of mixed races, Tony experienced racism from both white and black communities and felt that he never "fit in" either culture. He started working out and landed a job as a bouncer in a local nightclub. Tony found it easy to hang out with the girls who worked there, who were also addicts. At this point, he was introduced to cocaine, and he found he liked the excitement and attention he was getting.

He started experimenting with shooting up the pills and found out that he needed to have his opiates to feel good. Tony then realized that heroin was cheaper and easier to use and became addicted to heroin. Listen in to find out how Tony hit rock bottom and finally ended up clean at Rock Recovery Center.

At Rock Recovery Center, we take a humanistic approach to recovery, teaching our clients how to live independently in a sober world. We care about the success and safety of each and every one of our clients from the moment they step into our center to the future of their well-being.

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Show Notes:

• [03:49] Tony's story of how he got into drugs and alcohol.
• [04:36] How alcohol gave Tony comfort from his feelings.
• [08:15] Growing up with his uncle and grandmother.
• [11:09] He looks for his missing mom at a local bar she frequented.
• [13:44] Why Tony hung out with other kids who drank alcohol.
• [17:15] Drinking on the weekend was the "thing to do" with his cousins.
• [19:34] Getting involved with the females who worked at the club with him.
• [21:19] How Tony became addicted to opiates in addition to alcohol and cocaine.
• [25:22] Ending up homeless and on the streets as a result of heroin use.
• [27:50] Tony opens up about his faith and how his belief became his guide in life.
• [30:36] Prayer and how this has helped Tony with his recovery from addiction.
• [33:29] How he made the decision to put 100% of himself into his recovery.
• [34:49] Tony's advice to current users and drug addicts.
• [37:05] Sharing your story of addiction with the right person.
• [42:06] Giving up your will, prayer and the practice of being a good person.
• [45:52] Impacting people you wouldn't have been able to reach if you weren't a recovering addict.

Episode Links and Resources

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• Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com
• Podcast editing and show notes by Pro Podcast Solutions