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When I was a baby I was put up for adoption, I was the only child of three put up, therefore it caused me to have abandonment issues.
I started drinking at a very young age, I was going to parties a lot. I ended up getting raped 14 days before my 15th birthday. Shortly after I started using oxycodone 30 mg. I started out snorting one a week then I started using more and more. About two years after snorting them I started shooting them up. I got up to shooting between 16 and 24 a day. I was also doing other drugs, crack and cocaine, meth, heroin, and smoking weed.

After 6 long years I got tired of doing the same thing everyday. I lived to use and used to live. I got tired of it. So on February 1st of 2012 I went to my parents and told them I needed help. They got me into a rehab in Jacksonville, Florida, that night. The name of it is “lake view health systems”. I recommend it to anyone. Anyway when I got there I was already withdrawing they gave me some meds and that was the beginning of my new life. While I was in rehab I found out that I got Hepatitis C from my drug use. I was there for 45 days and they saved my life.

When I got out I went to AA meetings in my hometown where I went back to. Everything was going good until I hung out with the wrong person at the meeting and ended up relapsing. Shortly after I cut her and everyone else out of my life. And I’ve been clean since July 4th 2012. I’m currently on an opiate blocker shot called Vivitrol. That’s a life saver and I recommended that to every addict. It helps with the cravings and say I wanted to do a pill I wouldn’t be able to get high off of it. I’m a totally different person than I was almost a year ago. And I’m about to start treatment for the Hep C.

I’m 21 almost 22 and I’ve lived a tough life but I’m now on the right path. Since I’ve gotten clean I’ve got my own place and I’m currently in College. I hope my story helps. If anything I wanna say I’m living proof that no matter where you’ve been or are or how bad you are, you can change as long as you want it. It starts with you. Wish you the best of luck.

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SAFE COMMUNITIES

getting involved

The partnerships built by Safe Communities have created a safer community, with more opportunities for education and awareness. We continue to envision a safer future for the people who live in Madison and Dane County, with instances of unnecessary deaths and serious injuries are infrequent, rather than a daily occurrence.

RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE

Treatment Key

Safe communities has complied a list of abbreviation definitions for finding the right treatment for you.

MAT: Medication for Addiction Treatment.
OP: Outpatient Treatment – person lives at home or in the community, attends. individual and group therapy, these can include or not include MAT.
IOP: Intensive Outpatient Treatment – person lives at home or in the community, attends individual and extended groups, 9-12 hours a week.
Residential: person lives at the facility for a period of at least 14 days, some last as many as 45 days.
PHP: Partial Hospitalization Program is a structured mental health treatment program that runs for several hours each day, three to five days per week.
DBT: Dialectical behavior therapy is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that integrates mindfulness techniques.