Think before you use drugs is an easy thing for me to say now. I used to use drugs regularly for about 4 years. I started out smoking marijuana and ended up smoking crack and sniffing heroin and crystal meth. My story isnt a story about how I brought my self down, how I became homeless or how I destroyed my brain. I did at one point I think have a small stroke when speed balling crystal meth and special K. I have managed to recover my brain function and I managed to go on with my life in a somewhat normal way.
I am a 31-year-old man who is fairly successful at his job, as successful as I want to be really. I have 2 beautiful children and one child on the way. My wife is wonderful... most of the time... if your married you know that is normal. I love my wife very much and she loves me. I have a great house in the suburbs and we go on great family vacations twice a year. So if my life is so perfect then why would I be telling you to think before you use drugs?
On the outside my life is perfect but I live with a dark secret that I wish every day I could erase. I was a big brother once. No that is not the dark secret that I harbor. The secret is that I was a bad influence on my little brother. I didnt stand up for what I thought was right and lead him in the right direction. I didnt lead him at all really. I was just a kid I tell myself. I didnt understand the decisions that I had to make not only for myself but also for the people who look up to me.
Instead of leading I followed. I let my little brother lead me down a path of destruction. Not only did I follow but I encouraged and enabled. Somehow for now I have managed to escape the same consequences that my brother finally ended up facing. My consequences are different.
I have to live with the fact that my brother killed himself every day of my life. I have to live with the fact that I did nothing to stop the sequence of events that finally lead to his death. Of course I had no idea that what we were doing at the time would end up the way they did but is that really an excuse?
We both used major hard-core drugs together and man were they fun. You know what would be fun now? HAVING A BROTHER! HAVING MY BEST FRIEND! We always dreamed of raising kids together and going on family vacations together and moving on to the next stage of live together.
Every time that I paint a wall in my house by myself, every time that I go on a family vacation, a trip to the zoo, anytime where he used to be there to help me or enjoy life with me I wish I could go back and stand up and be what a big brother should be; a good influence and a protector. I would give back every single time I ever got high in a second to have my brother back in my life.
Some of you may have people in your lives people who are as close as a brother. That is great for you. This story is for you also. You are an influence on someones life. You are leading someone. You are setting an example.
Think before you use drugs because you may not be hurting yourself. You could be killing your brother; you could be killing your best friend.
Ryan Sledgehammer owns and operates http://www.substanceabusehelpnetwork.com Substance Abuse Help Network He is also a recovering substance abuse user and lost a brother to suicide from serotonin degradation caused by crystal meth abuse.
Nutrition and Exercise - Keys to Drug Use Recovery
If you are currently experiencing the pangs of your attempt to quit drugs, understand that it is your body which first feels the consequences of recovery. If you are looking for an easier way as to how to quit drugs, there are only simple ways to do...
Prescription Drug Addiction: An Overview
It seems that prescription drugs are being prescribed more than ever. Doctors prescribe drugs for pain, for mental health, and for insomnia. The majority of the people who are prescribed these drugs use them responsibly, taking the correct dose jus...
Drug Detoxification
Drug use is a major problem in society today. Many people are addicted to one or more substances. Western medicine is a drug-oriented system and people purchase millions of pills every year. Drug detoxification is thus the need of the hour.All drugs ...
Drug Treatment for Alcoholism - An Alternative to Treating Addiction?
One of the gravest addictions is alcoholism. A person should be treated immediately if found out to be addicted to alcohol. When not treated at once, it can cause severe damage to the mental and physical health of the person. Fortunately, there ar...
Red Yeast Rice - Does Red Yeast Rice Really Lower Cholesterol?
Red Yeast Rice has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine for all types of ailments such as soothing an upset stomach, promoting blood circulation, helping stop diarrhea and helping colic in infants. However, it wasn't until later that it was re...
There Is Power In Sobriety!
If you think back to when you began to use drugs or alcohol, you probably believed that your decision to do so was giving you some degree of choice. After all, you were deciding to do something which, to some extent, was looked on in a negative mann...
Drug Detox
People who have been dependent on addictive drugs for a period of time experience an involuntary attachment to them. They have uncontrollable urges as a result of the addiction. They are changed by their condition where drugs take control of their li...
Drug Addiction
Statistics show that drug addiction is on the rise. Designer drugs are finding their way into clubs and bars and straight into the hands of teenagers and young professionals. Addiction to prescription drugs is becoming common, as well. Many people be...
Do You Know An Addict?
Are you or someone you know an addict? If you are truthful in answering this question the most likely reply would be, yes. Believe it or not but most people in this world has one addiction or another the problem is that some are believed to be more u...
Drug And Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol is in itself a welcome drink but when teamed with drugs, assumes gargantuan proportions. One offshoot of drug and alcohol abuse is domestic violence when, under influence of spirits, a man turns batterer unconsciously or, as in certain cases,...
