y sobriety date is 7/25/02 To be grateful to have a new life? I would prefer to say I am grateful to have a life now. I had been dead inside for so long before I ever picked up a drink. There was a tiny, tiny spark of light inside me that was life, and I now believe it was my soul that refused to ever fade away throughout my years.

I had no skills in setting boundaries. My childhood, there were too many unhappy or angry people, I was was silently self assigned and unnanmously voted the one to keep the smile and cheer everyone up. Meanwhile I hurt inside, and was searching for inner and outward peace.

Chapter 1 of I Say A Prayer For Me: One Woman's Life of Faith and Triumph by Stanice Anderson (Walk Worthy Press/Warner Books)

"I Only Meant to Wet My Feet"

"Beware of guys with matchbook covers torn off at the end," my father warned me as he walked away.
"What exactly does that mean, Daddy?"
He turned and, with a smirk that seemed to question my intelligence, said, "It means that they use drugs!"
"Use drugs! With a matchbook cover?"
"Yes!" Offering no more as he went to his next task.
Our "talk" about drugs was apparently over.
I shrugged it off and thought, How stupid does he think I am? Does he think that even at seventeen years old, I don't know anything? After all, I knew drugs were injected. I had seen the movie, The Man with the Golden Arm. Plus, I had seen junkies on the corner in front of the poolroom. They shoot dope into their veins. Boy, to be considered such a smart man, he sure is dumb about the things of life.

Iron man defeats drug addiction - High River Times - Iron man defeats drug addictionHigh River Times, Canada - 27 minutes ago... When Bernard Maillet took part in his first half-Ironman, it was more than a challenge to complete the course - he was also battling an addiction to crack ... [Google News - Addiction]

I am a recovering alcoholic. My name is Bill M. I was born and raised in Hawaii. The Leeward side of Oahu. I grew up in a middle class neighborhood. I am the second youngest of 13 children. 12 boys and 1 girl. Both my parents worked hard. They were very strict when it came to boundaries. They had to be I guess with that many children. Along with working hard came what seem to me at a young age was the pleasure of drinking alcohol.

Why not we deserved it!! Along with this came a lot of domestic problems like fights, abuse, and neglect. At times we were left to think and do for ourselves. During my childhood if was difficult being the 2nd youngest. My youngest brother appeared to be the pet of the family so that left me to defend for myself when it came to hand me downs. I basically fought my way through childhood into my teenage years. By the time I was 14 years old I said to myself, "I wasn't going to be like anyone in my family". So I did what I thought was best for me. Well sad to say I ended up a lot worse off than my family.

My name is Dennis, I have been clean for over 9 years. I went to jails, treatment centers, and finally a detox. It was then I had the moment of clarity. I was an addict. I started going to NA. I found a solution to my addiction. I was homeless, now I am a homeowner. I was unemployable, now I keep jobs. I found a God of my understanding. I now go into the prisons & jails to let others know they do not have to live that way. There is a solution. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. I was ready. If a person like me, wwho used for over 25 years can find freedom, any one can. My life has meaning & purpose.

My name is Regina, I am 31 years old. I have been clean from alcohol and drugs for 7 years now. I have 2 children and a husband. I live in my own home and have 2 vehicles and I have a dog.

When I first started using alcohol I was 11 years old. I found out I was adopted and I started looking for acceptance in whoever and what ever. I started sneaking out of the house late at night to hang out with the people who were drinking.

I started smoking weed at the age of 13. Again, I hung with the people who were accepting me because I could drink alot and smoke alot.

During those few years, I experienced rape twice, foster homes, pregnacy and abortion.

I began using drugs and alcohol at age 11. I remember thinking that Black Beauties were a magic pill that gave me the insight to conquer the troubles of a teen in an alcoholic family. My active addiction took me to places that you can only imagine. I was the single mother of three by the time I was 21 years old. I had taken care of others for most of my life and now I just had to get away. I took off to another state with a man who was just one in a long string of faceless people who I uses and abused. Although I knew at this time that I had a problem I was still unable and unwilling to give up the woderful fantasy that I was in control. I began shooting up methamphatemine about that time and the ability to care for my children was deminishing. My mother finally interviened for the safety of my children and took them away from me. This was a new ticket to act and behave in the most absurd fashion that I could concoct.

Ive been told at substance abuse conferences that I would be something of a celebrity because most people have never seen a functioning methadone patient. I believe that the reason for this is those of us who have been helped the most by this medication are not dissimilar to the average American. We blend into the woodwork. We go to work, have families and live an unremarkable existence. Just like you and your friends and family. We pay our taxes and we go to church.

Life was not like this for us before our lives stabilized with methadone. We lived with the persistent pain of addiction. With the ever present knowledge that our lives are somehow profoundly different from everyone else. And with the despair of the incurable and incurably misunderstood.

I was scared. I was scared and excited about living a lifejust as it promises in the AA literature--beyond my wildest dreams. After two solid days of plane travel, I dont know how many time zones, and a quantitative leap into tomorrow (India is a day ahead) I landed about a thousand kilometers south of Bombay, bleary eyed and jet lagged in Bangalore, the capital of Indias Silicon Valley. The purpose of my relocation was to work, amazingly enough, in my field, as a Language Specialist (LS) for Microsoft. My primary purpose, for the first day, was to find an AA meeting and connect with other sober alcoholics as soon as possible. With the ego surging, time was of the essence.

After growing up a fairly "normal" kid, my focus shifted from school, family, sports and church to going to parties and getting drunk when I turned sixteen. My alcoholism and drug use led me down a road to drop out of two colleges, quit playing sports and I separated myself from all of the good people in my life who cared about me.

Several years later I was so hopeless and helpless from being drunk every day and taking ecstasy and smoking marijuana that I didn't want to live anymore.

Instead of taking my own life I reached to my family for help. They found a place called Narconon that was a non-traditional treatment program and it truly helped me save my life.