It Started with Alcohol
As a teen, I learned about alcohol by going to friends’ houses and sneaking into their fathers’ liquor cabinets. The rush was exciting and I learned that day that being drunk seemed fun. Getting older people to buy us beer was a fun challenge and a game that we constantly played as teenagers.
As the years went by I noticed that my reasons for drinking had changed. I no longer drank beer for the challenge of getting the beer or social interaction with friends on a Saturday night. I discovered that I had the need to drink to make problems in life disappear. I started to drink every day and I became a drunk.
Drinking alcohol every day led me down a road that I never expected to be on. I began to experiment with drugs because alcohol itself was not cutting it. I enjoyed the feeling of euphoria that drugs gave me and I found myself in the trap of true addiction.
Addiction caused me lots of heartache, grief and lost relationships with both friends and family. It took me many years of being sober and hard work to turn my life back around. It was not easy but after some time I began building relationships with friends and family.
Being sober is possible and I see it happen every single day! People’s lives can be changed for the better by getting them help. Helping people is what I do. Each day I work to help people and use the tools and knowledge that I have learned at Narconon.
Gary J.—Narconon Staff Member
