As part of the Nashville Recovers efforts, I want to share stories of people recovering from substance abuse in Nashville. In his words, here’s Nick S., 24, a college student and restaurant server with 20 months clean.
Nick is one of hundreds from outside of Tennessee who come to Nashville-area treatment centers to get help.
Growing up in a relatively normal home in suburban NJ, I had several misconceptions about the nature of addiction and I figured that because I had the “ideal” childhood without any major trauma I was immune to this disease.
Despite the normalcy of my upbringing I couldn’t shake the feeling deep inside me that something was missing and once I began experimenting with drugs and alcohol I felt like I had finally found the one thing that would make me feel whole and complete.
This began a downward spiral of constantly searching for more, always looking for the next one until the consequences of my addiction became too great for me to bear.
The chaos that my disease created in my life was not so much external as it was internal and I never ended up homeless or in jail with a long list of charges, as I commonly thought of addiction, but instead found myself depressed and miserable, disappointed with the person I had become.
When I reached the point where I couldn’t function without drugs, but the drugs no longer worked to numb my negative feelings, I moved to Nashville and checked into a 30 day in patient drug addiction program, subsequently immersing myself in a 12 step recovery program, working steps with a sponsor, being of service to society, and building a relationship with a higher power.
Getting and staying clean has not always been easy, but it has been the best thing I’ve ever done in my life as I’m able to clean up the wreckage of my past and be the person I’ve always been capable of being through the practice and application of spiritual principles.
I’ve repaired the relationship I have with my family, I have a good job, and I recently went back to school to finish my degree, but most importantly I can wake up and not hate the person I see in the mirror each morning and for that I will be forever grateful.
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