In 1985, I was initially introduced to recovery when I was required to complete
a CDAC assessment. CDAC is the Army's version of intensive outpatient treatment
for drug and alcohol abuse. Did I want sobriety then? No, I don't believe so.
I was placed on 6 months probation so I didn't use and I attended meetings for those 6 months. I still
didn't believe I was a drug addict or alcoholic. After all... I just went 6 months
without using!
At the end of the 6 months, I was taken off probation and of course, I was back using right away.
Within days, I was right back where I stopped. Within a few months, I was kicked out of the Army for drug and alcohol abuse
and misconduct.
It would be 4 years later that I reached bottom. I sat down on the couch one
night and put a .357 magnum to my head to make it all stop. A dog named Patches
interrupted me and kept me from pulling the trigger. That was 1/27/90.
My recovery began on 2/2/90 when I checked myself in for inpatient treatment
at St. Agnes
Hospital in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
I consider 2/3/90 as my sobriety date because I was using the day I checked in
and had a BAC of .24.
So... let me share my story with you now. My Story