Assignment 2
Donna Mitchell
My Recovery
I sarted using drugs at age 16 after being introduced to herion by a boyfriend. I was born and raised in
the island of Bermuda. I was raised in a stable family of father and mother 2 brothers and one sister. I
used drugs for approxiametly 6 years or so. I was faced with being outcast from my family and grew up in
the streets almost as soon as I started using drugs. I had a child (daughter) who was raised by my family
from birth. I was addictd to herion, cocaine, methodine, marijuana.
After many attempts to get clean jail, cold turkey, jail, I was faced with a choice of either die or get help.
having a drug overdose helped me to make that choice. My father arranged for me to leave Bermuda
and enter a treatment facility in New York. The programe was The Phoneix House. I lived there for 2
years while staying in recovery. That was in 1981 and I have been clean ever since then. My decision to
stay clean came out of a need for permanant change. While living in the programe I met my husband of
40 plus years and have been with him for almost 45 years. He was also in treatment.
There was a time in my recovery I qestioned my mere excistance and wanted God to trade me for my
son. He was born with rare liver desease and required two liver transplants. It felt like i was being
punished for all of my drug addicition life. However, I got through it with family and depending on my
husband.
Treatment in Bermuda was non existant in my time, there were no places for addicts to go and get help.
You either found the strength to get clean and stay clean or you died an addict. Those were the choices
you had.
There is a stigma that an addict will always have but with the right treatment there is always HOPE for a
better way of life.