There is hope!

Trust me, I was one of the biggest alcoholics and heaviest drug user that walk the streets. I really enjoyed getting messed up. Life seem well until it didn't anymore. After spending daily 100s of dollars on drugs and liqour it came a time when I finally hit rock bottom and ran out of money. I hurt for days and then realized wheres my friends, I made some phone calls "hey come get me lets party," my friends would end the conversation like you got any money, "no." Thats all I got so I realized I don't really have any friends, do I? I got ahold of some money and partied really hard by myself said screw them who needs em. Well hung over and feeling like crap I went to the bathroom look into the mirror and said I'm done and really meant it I was deep down in my heart ready to quit. It wasn't a drug that I had not tried, I done did everything under the sun what more and this was my pay off for it no! I was smart enough to realize if I keep on this road I'll be a straight failure and I did'nt want that because I had kids. I owed them a responsible parenthood a life with a good father. Longer story short I turned my life over to Christ and he literately took it all away, I even quit cigarettes moral of this true story is you can lay it all down at Jesus feet and he'll heal you, but you have to really want it! There is hope for those who need it.

Thanks, and your right we as individuals have to want that change really want it. And if it's really in our hearts we'll run with it and never look back. That is how I feel, and I can honestly say that I am happy from the bottom of my heart to be off of drugs and alcohol. We can do it and we can change!

I believe that with the right attitude anyone can beat any addiction.

A friend of mine who I'd been encouraging to give up smoking decided out of the blue that he'd, from 2013 onwards, quit smoking. He bought his last cigar on 31-12-2012. I expected to see him struggle but he stood firmly by his resolution. Whenever he had get the urge to smoke he grab a number of mint-flavored sweets and come over to my place. We'd play checkers [as he sucked on those sweets] and once the craving was gone, he'd go back home. And somehow because of his will-power, he managed to stay off cigars and even tried to get some of his friends to stop smoking.

Sometimes addictions are so hard to give up because we just don't want to break off a habit. We are afraid of losing something . . . friends maybe or the little pleasure we'd gain from the abusing the substance.

Where there's a will, there's a way, right? If we really want to fight and beat an addiction, I'm sure we can do it.

The start of your journey after kicking the addiction sounds incredible. I'm glad you found Christ, and I'm glad to read that you're doing so well now compared to in the past. At some point, we can all muster the will to beat our inner demons, but it's never easy. The rewards can be great, though!

Amen to that, Daniel. The reality of drug abuse has become so widespread since the days of the Opium War. We've come to a point where it's hard to undo such a reality. I'm glad that you've got up and lived a better life. I wish you all the best. I wish the same for all the people out there who've fallen prey to this reality. Hope still springs eternal.

I think it is really sad when some people think they are not capable of quitting their addiction and live a better life. I think you do a great job by setting example for a thousands of others who are in the same situation that you were in. I think you have done a great job by having the courage to quit every bad addiction. You should try to save lots of lives by talking about your story at a greater stage.

I'm so proud of you! It's really true that when you put your trust in Him, He'll take care of you and will never fail you. You're one of the many proof that He is indeed alive.

That is a really GREAT story! I think you just encouraged everyone who read it that you can turn your life around and you can become a better person. Also, it is a sign that Jesus is real and that he can and will help anyone if asked. Thanks for sharing this it meant a lot to me.

This is great news and made my day. You're doing a wonderful job at turning your life around and this story is really inspirational, I'm sure everyone else that read it is feeling exactly how I am! Congratulations on becoming a better person and giving everyone else that little bit of courage to take a step in the right direction.

Congrats, Daniel! That's awesome. And GOOD FOR YOU for being a clean/sober father.

Thanks for sharing your story as it is very important for people to hear such things so they could possibly learn from it. I don't agree that you should attribute it to religion, though, as I myself do not believe in it and I would much rather people realize that they themselves are strong and not attribute it to possibly nonexistent beings. However, I also believe that whatever helps you should be a welcome option, especially since you have people depending on you. Congratulations to you and good luck with the rest of your journey.

Well done indeed, congratulations for being the best possible father you son needs, sometimes we just need to make a decision and take it ahead.

Congratulations, Daniel. Well done! I had gone through a bout of heavy drinking for 6 months when I lost my job and all the interviews I went failed - my job was what defined me, what kept me going each day. It was at that one point when my 7 year old son asked me to play with him and I was so out of it that I shoved him aside hard and told him to leave me alone. I remember seeing that look on his face - it wasn't fear I saw but a face of concern. And I think that was what made me stop drinking, get myself together and got myself a job. Yeah, the job I'm at pays half of what I used to make but today, a job doesn't define me anymore. I have much more than that. So, the point in my story is that most people want to change but the right triggers aren't there. I believe it takes a split moment of something occurring for wanting to change, and for me it was see that looking on my son's face.

You are absolutely right jaray87, sometimes it takes major situtations to show us that our lifes a wreck. I also have children and just think, most addicts that have kids do the exact same thing you have done once or twice and are afraid to admit it or even realize their doing it.I am glad for your recovery and you are right we make the jobs the job doesn't make us as a person. Keep strong and believing in yourself. Good luck!

Well Charli, please understand that the God I believe and have faith in does truly exist! Things have happen in my life that are un-explainable and there was no way possible for anyone or myself to get me through what I have been through. For you thats cool, to each his/her own. I am not trying to force my beliefs on anyone , but offer some real hope. Even in AA/NA they tell you to have a higher power, so there must be more than me keeping me standing strong. Good luck!

One thing I have realise about people who suffer from an addiction is that for them to change they have to for the most part reach rock bottom, or come to a point where they believe that their behaviour is contrary to who they are or want to be and the realise that they must change. So there is always hope for anyone as long as they get to that point.

That is a very inspiring story. I'm so happy you were able to turn things around and live the life you deserve. When we are under the influenced of illegal substance, our mind is clouded and our decision making suffers making our life miserable and affecting the people around us, we hurt our loved ones and the relationship crumbles. You are an inspiration for those who are trying to recover. Appreciate the beauty of life and never be afraid to asked for guidance!

That's the whole moral of it, we can always turn things around no matter how bad it might seem, we always have that power as long as we put in all we've got.