A Journey Towards Recovery

It’s estimated that nearly 23 million Americans are addicted to at least one illicit form of drug. In 2008 alone 37,000 people died as a result of their use. To put that number into  perspective, Manassas has an approximate population of 37,000. That’s an entire city of people…our city…our people…gone.

Last year I was very much a member of that 23 million and considering only 11% of addicts will receive treatment I indifferently expected to join the coroner’s report of 37,000 before I reached my mid 20s. That’s what addiction did to me. It took away every dream I ever wanted, every friend I’d ever made, every chance I ever had, every wish I’d ever hoped for, and replaced everything that was once so important to me with an insatiable craving to use heroin. The only thing I wanted out of life from that point forward was to use just one more time and I would stop at absolutely nothing to achieve even just one second of that high.

When you’re an actively using addict you don’t live your life anymore. You live out your drug’s life… and that’s when something needs to happen.

At Prince William Hospital the Department of Behavioral Medicine offers a variety of substance abuse treatment options ranging from inpatient hospitalization, to intensive outpatient, to weekly therapy visits depending on the level of care being sought out. Hope doesn’t happen without change.

For three years I dialed the same phone number for my supply of heroin; 10 digits that aided in destroying my life. Six months ago I made the decision to dial a different phone number that allowed me to enroll in Prince William Hospital's Intesive Outpatient Program. Those 10 digits began my climb back out. 703-369-8404.