I was born in California to a hippie mother and a yuppie father. I was in and out of the hospital the first few years of life due to esophageal atresia (my esophagus did not connect to my stomach).
My parents divorced when I was three or four. Soon after, my mom kidnapped me with a criminal boyfriend. My father tracked us down a year later and brought me back to live with him and his new wife in California.
This experience left me with post-traumatic stress. This, in addition to Attention Deficit Disorder, contributed to my difficulties in school. Up until high school I was placed in Special Education classes.
Social interaction was difficult for me. In high school I ran with the wrong crowd, mostly trying to fit in. I started smoking marijuana at age 15. I was even arrested for robbing a store.
At 19, I started a long-term existence of working, drinking and isolating myself. I bounced between jobs, before finding my niche as an assistant purchasing manager.
Things took a turn for the worse when I started snorting cocaine five years ago. When my dad died a year later, my drug use intensified. I was depressed and called in sick to work a lot. I lost a few jobs and apartments due to my substance abuse.
Finally, a year ago, I had had enough. I headed to New York City in search of a fresh start. After staying at a city men’s shelter, I attended First Christian Church of the Valley. At the end of the service, they invited to the front anyone who desired help for a substance abuse addiction. Church leaders then brought me to New York City Rescue Mission.
This has been my first experience with a recovery program and with Christianity. As a new Christian, I am growing spiritually and mentally. The counseling and step classes at the Mission are helping with my anxiety. I am even making friends with other residents—something I wouldn’t do before.
I have had one slip-up with alcohol since joining the program, but quickly realized I don’t want to go back down that path. I hope to graduate, find employment and get back on my own two feet.
I am grateful for McAuley’s Mission. Without it, I’d probably still be living in sin.
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