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The Party Was Over, But Addiction and Depression Weren't Finished With Me Yet.

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Ryan Hampton
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May 30, 2017
Hi! I’m Zack, and I’m a recovered alcoholic. It wasn’t too long ago that I was lying in bed writing suicide letters to my loved ones. I can vividly remember the crippling hangover, the shaky hands, the tears, the writhing anxiety, and the terrible pain of existence – I had...

I'm in Recovery From Opioids. Today, I Find Power in Telling My Story.

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Ryan Hampton
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May 29, 2017
I am Amanda. I am 29 years old. I work full-time as an Employment Counselor to adults and adolescents. I have an awesome family and friends, an amazing boyfriend, and an adorable English Bulldog. Between the ages of 15-20, I had a severe opioid use disorder. September 2017 will...

To Rebuild My Future, I Finally Put Myself and Recovery First

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Ryan Hampton
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May 28, 2017
My name is Jeremy and I am a person in recovery from addiction. To look at my life a few months ago compared to now, I never thought I would be able to share my story, let alone survive this horrible disease. While drugs and alcohol have been a large part of my life since my...

My Past Doesn't Define Who I Am Today

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Ryan Hampton
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May 27, 2017
I wasn’t introduced to drugs or alcohol until I was 18 and in college, but I knew from the first time I took a drink, that I was doing it differently than everyone else. While everyone else would stop after 1 or 2, I wasn’t stopping until 10 or 15. Back then, I just thought I...

It is in Recovery That I Found My Life. And in My Life, I Found My Purpose.

RH
Ryan Hampton
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May 27, 2017
I had my first drink when I was 17. By the time I was 20, I was snorting crystal meth with my father in San Diego, Ca. At 29, I was divorced and a full blown alcoholic. By the time I was 37, I had 3 children and was out of control. At 39, I had been through a detox facility...

Denying Addiction Plays Russian Roulette With Families of Sufferers, Too.

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Ryan Hampton
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May 25, 2017
22 million people live with substance use disorder. 45 million people are impacted by addiction. I am 1 of the 45 million people affected by this disease. The disease of addiction is no one’s fault, but everyone's problem. Alcoholism was declared a disease in 1956. 61 years...

Recovery Took Me From A Park Bench To Become A Hopeful College Graduate

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Ryan Hampton
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May 23, 2017
When we arrived at the hospital, I remember coming to, my bare chest exposed as I felt wires and tubes all over me. I remember the feeling when they pulled the gurney off the back of the ambulance and the wheels hitting the ground as they took off running with me. It felt so...

Try Being a Teacher – Who is Also a Recovering Alcoholic

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Ryan Hampton
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May 21, 2017
Let us start out by being honest – after all, it is one of the cornerstones of recovery, right? Okay, since we are being honest, let me just say that there are some people who aren’t supposed to be alcoholics. Yes, I realize that addiction does not discriminate and it affects...

I Am Not a Victim of My Past Anymore. Today, I Am the Hero of My Future.

RH
Ryan Hampton
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May 19, 2017
I struggled with a severe poly-substance use disorder for over ten years. In my years trying to get clean, I was taught that I wouldn’t find sobriety unless I went to 12 Step Groups, got on medication assistance, and went to rehab. Those were the solutions I was given from...

Three Weeks After My Wedding, I Lost The Love of My Life

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Ryan Hampton
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May 18, 2017
My son, Carlos Castellanos, died at age 23 from a drug overdose, just three weeks after walking me down the aisle at my wedding. On that day, he was happy, healthy and loving life. He had a job and was expected to get a promotion the following month, loved his girlfriend dearly,...