From Addiction to Redemption: The Inspiring Journey of Leslee
My battle against drugs started long before I ever actually used them for the first time. When I was a young child, my biological mother was an addict. My very first memories were of my mother being passed out and bringing random men home. One of these men was very abusive and would severely beat me for random reasons or because I had made my mother angry. The last time that he beat me so badly, I ended up in the hospital, social services got involved, and I was removed from my mother. I stayed with my family and was adopted by my aunt and uncle. I had a normal upbringing for the most part, after that until the age of 14. That is when I smoked pot for the first time. I started having problems in school and quickly went on to other drugs.
I moved with my dad to Florida when I was 15 and did alright till I met some friends down here and started using drugs again. This went on until I graduated high school at the age of 16. I saw where my life was headed and decided to join the military at age 17. While I was in the service, I started drinking because everyone else was, and I just wanted to fit in. I didn’t realize it then, but I was becoming an alcoholic as well as an addict. Even while I deployed to Iraq, both times, my friends and I found ways to get alcohol and even some other drugs shipped to us. Once I got back from overseas, I had surgery done, and that was my introduction to opiates. That is when my life really went into full-blown active addiction.
After leaving the military, I became completely dependent on pain medication. Things got out of hand very quickly, and my life started revolving around getting and using drugs. At one point, I even started to see multiple doctors for pain meds. Things ended up getting so bad and out of control that my son was taken from me and placed in foster care. I did nothing to try and get him back for almost two years. Finally, I had enough and reached out for help from my CPC case manager. I got into treatment, and that was my first real run-in with a life in recovery.
Through going to meetings and staying clean, I was able to get my son back, a place to live, and even got a good job. I ended up having another son, and things went well for a while. Someone came into my life that introduced me to drugs again, and I was able to maintain my life for a while but ended up getting out of control again. I was introduced to meth and heroin, which quickly became my life. After years of using and not losing but actually giving everything away for drugs, I found myself lost and without hope. I finally reached out by purposely getting arrested because I knew that I would not be able to stop on my own. I went to jail for a few months and went to inpatient treatment. It was there that I learned surrender isn’t defeat. That asking for help was not a weakness but a strength and courage. I learned that following the way of those that came before me would lead me to success. Listening to others and allowing the power of suggestion to work in my life. Today my life is truly amazing. I have the best job where I get to care the message with the addict that still suffers. To be of service to another person and help them through a hard time is the highest honor I could ever have. Now I wake up every day happy and looking forward to what the day will bring.
