Maryland
Teen Drug and Alcohol Abuse Fact
Chelsea K.
Bethesda, MD
School Attended: Bethesda-Chevy Chase High, Montgomery County
Age: 17
My Addiction Story
I'm not really sure what made me stick that needle in my arm.
I think it was a number of things that were eating at me,
and I had no idea how to deal with the pain. I was doing terrible
in school, my parents were pressuring me at home and my friends
were tugging me the other way. I was hanging around with my
friends and they asked me if I wanted to get high. They told
me I would forget about all my problems. Little did I know
my problems were about to start. When I stuck that needle
in my arm, I fell in love and it's been an awful journey ever
since.
I was 15 years old when I first shot up. I am now 17 and I've
learned a few things from being in detox and by being here
at Inspirations Teen Rehab. I have learned that I am better
than this disease and that recovery is possible. I have 110
days clean.
My parents realized I had a problem with drugs, more specifically
heroin, when I started stealing money and valuables from them.
They kicked me out of the house at the age of 16, and I went
to live with my grandparents. My grandparents understood better
than my parents that I needed help, that I could not get clean
by myself. They did not understand how hard it is to stay
away from drugs once you became and addict. My grandparents
with the help of my doctor found Inspirations Teen Rehab.
All my life I've been told that I have a beautiful gift, and
that gift would be that I am able to write really well. I
wrote numerous stories and poems and kept hundreds of journals,
and I did all that, struggling with my addiction. But now,
as I write this story about myself and my addiction, I find
myself having difficulty trying to put everything down on
paper. It's a mixture of feeling ashamed and embarrassed,
and it’s the first important thing I've written since
getting clean. My therapist said it is good to write about
our feelings, also I am writing for what they call their Wall
of Recovery Letters. I hope to be able to help someone with
my story. You may also find my drawings.
There’s not much I do remember now. My mom says it’s
because of all the drugs I've done. I hope I have not caused
any permanent damage to my brain. Like the Inspirations new
commercial, I think it is called: “I have a dream”,
I do have a dream myself. I want to go back to school and
be a therapist and help teens like me that somehow lose their
way. I think I was just lost and I have found myself. It is
very hard to grow up. Our parents don’t realize that,
there is so much pressure in school, from been “it”
and doing what is cool. And what is cool anyways? To be an
idiot and use drugs? What was I thinking?
I’ve always wanted to write my own book about my life,
and come clean about everything that’s happened to me,
everything I’ve done, basically an autobiography of
how I was leading a double life because of the whole ''I'm
a heroin addict'' side of me. I used to be ashamed and embarrassed
to tell people anything about me, because of the way they
judged me. I am now ok with it. I think I have passed the
stage of been embarrassed. I am accepting of myself I am looking
forward to close this chapter of my life and move forward.
It is amazing how many friends I have made here and how we
all have a different story that ties up to the same struggle.
By listening to all of them, we all have in common the need
to be loved and accepted and somehow we thought that either
drugs, alcohol or both were the answer to our needs. I will
finish this up by saying that my addiction has taken me to
places that I never thought I'd go and luckily I have met
people who cared enough and believe in me. I apologize to
my parents to all I have put you through. To my grandparents
all my love and thank you for understanding me and giving
me a chance by getting me the help that I needed. To all of
Inspirations therapists and staff that hang in there with
me I will miss you dearly.
Chelsea K.
Bethesda, MD
TOLL FREE TEEN DRUG REHAB HELP LINE IN MARYLAND:
1-888-757-6237
or e-mail
us.
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