Faces of addiction: Ariel's story
Her addiction really took off in college, when drugs and alcohol drove a wedge between Ariel and her family. Determined to live the life she always dreamed, Ariel took a chance on herself, is now in recovery and encourages others to do the same.
Transcript
I first started using drugs when I was about 16 years old. But it really took off when I was in college when I was away from home, no longer under the shelter
of my mom, and really just wanted to be a part of the college experience. So I started using a lot freshman year of college.
[MUSIC PLAYING] I wasn't doing well in school.
I wasn't really establishing the most healthy relationships. I wasn't talking to anybody in my family, really.
And it just-- it just became a real problem when those things were happening, and I still couldn't stop using. It really just kind of hit me that if I continued
to use drugs and alcohol the way that I was that I was never going to eventually get the life that I always wanted and always dreamed of having.
I had to choose something different, or else I was not going to make it. And I took that opportunity, and I ran with it and have not looked back.
The most important thing to me that helps me to stick with my recovery on a daily basis is the people that I've met also in recovery.
When I'm in a community, my recovery thrives. If anyone is out there listening to this right now and is looking for a different way or struggling
and can't even figure it out, I would tell them the same thing that a woman told me. She told me to give myself a chance.
And reaching out and asking for help is the greatest thing that you can do. Give yourself a chance.
addiction recovery
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