**The following is a personal story of addiction told by the individual who experienced it. BRC asks that you please be respectful when leaving comments. At the same time, we also welcome and encourage you to share your personal story of addiction and recovery as others embark on their own journeys to permanent sobriety. Email us today at RecoveryInfo@brcmultisitede.wpengine.com.

Hi, I’m Charlie and I’m a drug addict. I can honestly say that the experience that I was able to have at Mark Houston Recovery (now BRC Recovery) was the best thing that ever happened to me. Not only did it show me that life without drugs is possible, but also helped me achieve a sense of happiness and contentment that I could never have even comprehended while I was still using. While I was using, I felt the need to try and control every aspect of my life, especially my addiction. I was in the delusion that I didn’t need to go to treatment, despite the overwhelming evidence that I had a problem I was unable to hide and manage any more. By the time I arrived at MHR, the wreckage of my addiction had become so great in such a short amount of time that the unmanageability of my life had become undeniable. Before arriving, I had defined myself through drugs, alcohol, and material objects. I had been living in the delusion that I was someone I was not. During my stay at MHR, I was given time to really understand and get to know who I was. I was stripped of everything that I had used to represent who I was, leaving me lost and afraid to face the part of me that I had been avoiding for so long. I realized I was a drug addict long before arriving at MHR, but this program really helped me to understand that being an addict was not only about the drugs. I was taught that drugs and alcohol were my solution to the real underlying problem. It was then that I was guided through the twelve steps and learned how to believe in a power that was greater than myself. Through this process, I began to understand my true self as previous delusions and fears began to be replaced with freedom and faith. I was guided through the steps by staff members who not only were recovered alcoholics and addicts, but applied the exact same principles being taught to me in their every day lives. On top of the drug and alcohol recovery aspect, MHR also taught me how to live life like “normal people”. Before arriving to MHR, I had an apartment that had trash bags piled up waist high that had begun to compost into the carpet. There were bugs and broken glass all over the apartment. My inability to maintain a clean living environment was a good example of the unmanageability in my life. However, when I was admitted into MHR I became very familiar with life skills and begun to integrate them into my daily life. Whether it was cooking, cleaning bathrooms, or maintaining a neat and orderly room, I was able to implement these habits into my daily life and carry them with me out of treatment. I am truly grateful for the experiences I had at MHR (BRC) , without it there is no telling where I would be. Today I can truly say that God has another plan for me, and that plan is to share my experience with other people just like me and help them to recover. Thanks to the strong message that Mark Houston Recovery shared with me, I no longer feel the incessant urge to use drugs and alcohol. Through working this program and maintaining in contact with God, every day is better than the last! Thanks Mark Houston Recovery! -C.H.