According to the Surgeon General’s Report published in 2016 “20.8 million people aged 12 or older in the United States had a substance use disorder. That number is similar to the number of people who suffer from diabetes and more than 1.5 times the annual prevalence of all cancers combined (14 million).”
Recovering from addiction isn’t easy, but it is possible, and it does happen – even after multiple relapses; individuals can and do find and maintain sobriety. To do so they need a facility that understands relapse and can help both the individual and the family understand relapse too.
I attended Gulf Breeze Recovery in 2016 after over a decade of failed attempts to get clean at 12-step drug treatment centers. I was an IV drug user, and I thought that if anyone truly understood how powerful my cravings were, then surely they would see why it was impossible for me to stay sober. That’s why one of the most valuable insights I gained during my time in Gulf Breeze was my relationship to cravings.
It was after one of those parties, in fact, where Ben hit what he calls his rock bottom. He apparently “made an ass of himself”, although he doesn’t remember it. After the party, he went home and fell down the stairs. He was pretty beat up, bloody, sore, bruised and lucky to have survived the fall.
Mary was a fun-loving girl. In college, she started drinking and experimenting with drugs, and it was part of the college adventure. She believed that she was in control and that everything was okay – until it wasn’t. “You are a functioning member of society,” she explains, “until one day you’re not!”
You can recover from addiction, and rediscover how it feels to dream! Dreams for the future are a wonderful part of life. Kids are full of dreams concerning things they …
Gulf Breeze Recovery is a holistic, non-12-step treatment program that takes pride in offering top notch care to everyone who participates in our program. Gulf Breeze Recovery has an ongoing policy of striving to constantly improve our services, using feedback from our guests as a guideline.
The struggle with addiction is difficult. Determination and effort are required to take the necessary steps to break free. Some people do it on their own, but most people can’t. They need effective interventions and professional care to make that important first step and follow through with the process to become substance free.
Resolutions are plentiful as a new year begins. People resolve to lose weight, or they may join a gym as they resolve to become more physically fit. Some resolve to spend more quality time with family, or go back to school, or get out of debt, or take their dream vacation.
Tobacco and opioids become addictive more quickly than people originally believed. “I just use for fun, recreationally. Don’t worry, I won’t get addicted.” Maybe you have heard someone say this, …