I first started doing heroin at age 14, and I’m currently 22 years old. Let me just start by saying addiction is a horrible place to be. In late October of 2012 my entire world came crashing down on me. My mother had passed away. We also used together so when she wasn’t around helping me, I started doing horrible things to my family. My grandpa kicked me out. I was house hopping for about 3 months and got high all the way through it. Whether it was meth, alcohol, heroin, pot, I was doing it all. I finally hit rock bottom and begged my grandpa to let me back in and help me. And he did.

He had me at The Life Change Center within 3 days. And I honestly was just going to stay well and then I’d use when I had the money. But because I wasn’t sick, I didn’t have to try and hustle up money to get high, I never ended up using. And after about 3 weeks at the clinic and not using heroin, I started feeling better. I had energy again, I was happier, and a little bit healthier too! So, I made the choice to stay on just the methadone and not use. My counselor Casey, was always there for advice and helped me every time I asked. I believe I started at the clinic in June of 2014 and will be done by July of 2015. It took me a bit longer than other people because I got pregnant. If an addict truly wants to get sober there is nothing stopping them. And in my opinion, The Life Change Center is a great way to get clean. You have so many people around you in that place that would drop everything to help you. It was pretty easy to get clean with methadone.

For anyone reading this, I wish you luck on your quest to find sobriety. Even if you’ve been told methadone clinics are a bunch of crap, don’t listen, and just go for it! It might end up being the one that really gets you clean for good! It was the best choice for me. I went from house hopping and having no food, no clothes, no home, no nothing, to getting off drugs and very soon after meeting my husband and then having the most amazing baby boy. None of it would’ve happened if I were still using. I get up every morning happy as can be because of where my life is and who is in it. The addiction kept me from so many things. But I’m here now and will soon be done with the methadone to and able to live a completely normal, happy life watching my children grow up and my husband and grow old, couldn’t get any better in opinion! I hope I can help anyone reading this just a little bit. The counselors here are great and the support you get is even better. It’s worth a shot, I promise!

I started with The Life Change Center after years of struggling. Even my childhood was about addiction – both of my parents were alcoholics. Brothers, sister, my uncles cousins…everybody. I felt different than the other kids in school, I was afraid all of the time. I remember feeling so alone and out of control. It ended up that I ran away from home, got married and started a family as a kid. I remember feeling some self-worth back then, but it was full blown drinking and partying. I lost my child, I had to give her up for adoption. As much as I still feel the pain of that decision it was probably best for her. My life really started to fall apart after giving her up, I starting getting trouble and went to jail God knows how many times.

My first counseling for this was because of the arrests. It didn’t work. I went through drug court, used pretty much the whole time and then started full blown again right when I got out. It seemed to me that the first sense of control I had was when I started Methadone in Las Vegas, but I was still so lost. In some ways it was great but I was using benzos the whole time, I was really just getting high then too. I pretty much just numbed myself from life. At that time in my life I had started a family and had two beautiful children and a loving husband. But I wasn’t there for them. It kills me to think about it. My daughter would plead with me not to use the benzos… but I thought I was in control.

Things started to work out after I moved to Reno and started at The Life change Center. They offer a lot of help for going into recovery… everybody is available to help. It is a comfortable place to be at, the groups and counseling really helps. I was ready and they were there to help. I just wanted to feel better about myself; I was so tired of being in a rut. What is amazing to me is that I have been sober for 37 months! My life today… it’s better, and I’m still working on it. I can honestly say that I feel happy. Wow, it’s weird to think about and accept. I’m working, I have a better relationship with my family and I’m a good mom. I can’t tell you how good it feels to look in the mirror and like the person you see.

If you’re thinking about it, I know how scary it is to be there. Just know that it’s easy once you make that phone call. I know what it is like to feel that hopeless feeling. You will start to feel Hope once you make that phone call.