Following eleven years of marriage, I got a divorce. The night I left my husband I began drinking. After three months of drinking I began smoking marijuana and using speed and cocaine.
One night I was meeting my ex-husband. He gave me this white substance to smoke which I thought was speed. Three hours later I discovered I was free-basing (smoking) cocaine. Within six weeks of my first experience with free-basing my habit sailed to $7,000.00 a week.
The worst part of this story is that I have three children. My daughter would ask me to go watch her cheerlead and I couldn’t because I could not leave my pipe for two hours to see my daughter perform.
My son wanted to go to amusement parks—I couldn’t go.
By the fourth month I had locked myself in a basement room. I hadn’t gotten out of a bathrobe for weeks. I hadn’t taken a shower or brushed my teeth.
One morning I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. That was the first time I had ever seen death and it was me. I was so devastated I collapsed. I made my way to the telephone. My body shook so violently I could hardly push the buttons on the phone. My sister finally answered the phone and she came over. I told her about my addiction. I had lost everything.
I began searching for rehabilitation centers as my head throbbed with incredible pain. Either the rehabs had a waiting list, were too much money or my call wasn’t returned.
My brother told me of a rehab center that used L. Ron Hubbard’s technology. This was going to be my last shot. I got dressed and went down and told the counselor about my head. I found out within a couple of days that my brain was ready to hemorrhage. Had I gone to another center where it is quite probable I would have been given a drug, I could have died.
From that day two and a half years ago I have never reverted. L. Ron Hubbard’s technology gave me the tools to use to put me back in control of my life.
I love to see the sun come up, people happy and the noise of life in the city. Two and a half years ago I almost lost my life.
T.V.
