In my life there are endless possibilities…staring right back at me.”
…Bosshouse
Living with an addict
Families who face the heartache of living with an addict often don’t know where to turn, and they can’t imagine what possibilities exist for their loved one to recover. Every day parents, spouses, siblings and children try to regroup and consider what they may have done different to have prevented the addiction that now threatens their loved one’s life.
So, it was with a young man named Sturgill. His life was moving along in a very positive direction. Sturgill looked ahead to endless possibilities. He was doing well in school, active in sports including golden glove boxing and wrestling. His goals included the Olympics and academically he considered pre-med, but then came the broken arm, which led to many surgeries and his addiction to pain pills. Sturgill’s story is one that is played out hundreds, if not thousands, of times each day in our country. Pain pills leading to heroin and then resorting to mixing alcohol, Benzodiazepines (“benzos”), and Methadone -a deadly combination which can have dire consequences.
An INTERVENTION℠…the possibility of change
This past year Sturgill’s parents realized that they needed to find a way to intervene with his life which was slowly spiraling out of control. They also knew they needed to work with a professional interventionist who could guide them in confronting Sturgill and assist them in making it clear to Sturgill that if he did not accept the opportunity to go for treatment for his addiction, then they would need to step back, set boundaries and make it clear they will no longer enable his behavior.
Sylvia Parsons, an interventionist, was chosen by A&E INTERVENTION℠ to work with Sturgill and his family. An so, in Season 16, Episode 8 (AKA Season 18, Episode 27), Sturgill’s life as an addict is chronicled and his family, with the assistance of Ms. Parsons, is able to implore Sturgill to agree to go for treatment at PACE Recovery Center.
Sturgill’s willingness to accept that his life could still hold endless possibilities was a relief to his family. As his father said: “I’m feeling relieved and appreciative…he has to do it now.”
Meet Sturgill and his family…some 54 days later
If you are having trouble viewing the video, you can see it here.
At PACE Recovery Center Sturgill learned about addiction and the importance of brotherhood in recovery. He focused on getting better with the help of his therapists. He says it best:
Mentally it’s a little different, you still get triggers, you still get cravings. But here they teach you how to work through them. It’s like putting tools in your toolbox, to use in the real world. It’s amazing it’s changed my life drastically.I’m thinking about after treatment, I need to go to sober living and get my bachelors and come back and work in treatment. I think that would be really good for me, to surround myself with people that I could help, because I’ll know what they went through… I’m so happy now, I feel happy. That’s it. Rehab saved my life.”
Don’t let the story be left untold…
Everyone’s life is a story…with many chapters. Sometimes people need a little help to tell their story. PACE Recovery Center is a gender-specific, extended care, alcohol and drug rehab for men struggling with chemical dependency and behavioral health issues. Our clients are given the possibility to be part of an exciting and dynamic 12-step recovery community.
The entire treatment team of PACE Recovery Center is honored to be part of Sturgill’s recovery story.
