February 26, 2016
By: Jordan Coughlen, Wheeling, West Virginia
I grew up in an average home. I went to decent schools. I was raised by good parents. Yet here I am, a person in long-term recovery from opioid abuse.
My substance use disorder took effect the day I traded two CD’s for six prescription painkillers. I didn’t even know what opioids were until I heard the “cool” kids at high school talking about them. When I heard a friend had broken his toe and had some prescription drugs that he wasn’t using, my curiosity took over.
For many years, the road to recovery seemed out of reach, and a life of substance misuse seemed my only route. Opioids were my lover, my teacher, and my best friend. They overshadowed all that was important to me and distorted the faces of those I loved.
These years were marked by feelings of hopelessness, emptiness, loneliness, despair and desperation. Those feelings exhibited themselves in erratic behavior, lies, car accidents, isolation and legal issues. An accidental overdose left me in a coma for almost five days.
My turning point came early January, 2014, as I was driving my father home from the hospital where he had a minor operation. He said he wasn’t feeling well and that I might need to pull over. He pointed to a hospital sign and then he lost consciousness. In that moment, I saw both of our lives flash before my eyes. Everything seemed to re-prioritize itself in that moment. I vowed that from then on I would take my life and the lives of those I loved more seriously.
READ MORE: My Road to Long-Term Recovery from Opioid AbuseMy substance use disorder took effect the day I traded two CD’s for six prescription painkillers. I didn’t even know what opioids were until I heard the “cool” kids at high school talking about them. When I heard a friend had broken his toe and had some prescription drugs that he wasn’t using, my curiosity took over.
For many years, the road to recovery seemed out of reach, and a life of substance misuse seemed my only route. Opioids were my lover, my teacher, and my best friend. They overshadowed all that was important to me and distorted the faces of those I loved.
These years were marked by feelings of hopelessness, emptiness, loneliness, despair and desperation. Those feelings exhibited themselves in erratic behavior, lies, car accidents, isolation and legal issues. An accidental overdose left me in a coma for almost five days.
My turning point came early January, 2014, as I was driving my father home from the hospital where he had a minor operation. He said he wasn’t feeling well and that I might need to pull over. He pointed to a hospital sign and then he lost consciousness. In that moment, I saw both of our lives flash before my eyes. Everything seemed to re-prioritize itself in that moment. I vowed that from then on I would take my life and the lives of those I loved more seriously.
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