Here is the story how Chris’s addiction started.
Chris was addicted, and he knew it.
Chris’s thoughts were dominated and he had even allowed it to define who he was a person. Each time Chris experienced it, the high and adrenaline rush he got from it was nothing he could put into words and the decorated player always wanted more.
Only this addiction was to the glory that came with the crowd cheering and chanting his name. The power he felt when making a big play. The satisfaction he got from dominating opponents. The respect he commanded from his teammates. The fame, popularity and perks he got after games from fans and cheerleaders—Chris was addicted to it all.
His addiction to those things are what led him to his new addiction: OxyContin.
This new addiction began when Chris attempted a routine cut on the field, only to tear his MCL in his left knee. He’d fought through injuries before, such as a sprained ankle and jammed fingers. However, the pain Chris felt from this latest injury was nearly unbearable.
After his diagnosis of being out 6-8 weeks, Chris immediately thought of how he could come back sooner than that timetable. The need to minimize the pain in his knee as much as possible was made easier to achieve when a doctor prescribed him “a little something for the pain”.
Upon taking OxyContin, Chris noticed how much it reduced his discomfort and how it made him feel pretty good. He figured if he could continue taking them, the pain would reduce to next to nothing and he’d be back on the field sooner than his initial diagnosis. Besides, hobbling around on crutches wasn’t good for the image Chris was trying to keep up. He also realized returning to the field faster than expected would only add to the mythical and legendary status he had as a player.
After a few weeks, Chris had been back to the doctor so many times asking for more OxyContin that he was medically banned from being prescribed them anymore. Angry, he started to scramble and search for other doctors who he thought could prescribe him more OxyContin. Chris even started uncharacteristically missing classes and physical therapy treatment sessions with the team trainer to “doctor shop”.
He kept telling himself, “A few more prescriptions and I’m done for good.”
Around this time, Chris started noticing he’d have powerful headaches and it had become hard for him to stop sweating. The same crutches Chris despised so much at first became needed tools to help him stand up since he was frequently drowsy. He’d have fits of rage when a coach or teammate asked him if he was ok, which was a clear sign of increased irritability and paranoia. The nausea and vomiting at night also weren’t pleasant.
Chris had turned into a full-blown addict.
It wasn’t an addiction to the crowd cheering and chanting his name anymore. He stopped caring about the adrenaline rush of power he felt after making a big play. Being the big man on campus and a hit with the cheerleaders simply could not compare with the high Chris felt from taking OxyContin.
As the season and semester passed, things only got worse for Chris. He began selling furniture and other possessions from his dorm room to support his habit, including his cellphone. Teammates and coaches worried about him when they stopped seeing him around the athletic facilities completely. He had all but stopped going to class and making an attempt to complete his assignments. Chris even was a no-show for one of his doctor’s appointments to re-check his knee and this led to his injury not properly healing. He had borrowed so much money from his parents to score more OxyContin that they cut him off and a falling out ensued.
After coming to an empty dorm room one night, Chris realized he had changed as a person and his entire life had too. He felt powerless and defeated, which led him to a false conclusion that there was no turning back from his addiction. Chris packed what little clothes he had left in an old football bag obtained during his freshman year, completely dropped out of school and left campus completely.
Today, he wanders around the streets with a limp struggling to do anything and everything he can to support his addiction.
Where would you have realized an addiction had developed and help was needed? Do you see similarities to your current addiction?
It doesn’t matter what field you’re in, what you’re passionate about or what you’re led to start abusing as a result of a prior addiction. That “small” or “innocent” addiction you have can lead to many different things, including a far more serious drug or alcohol addiction and down a dark path. Your life can be changed by simply acknowledging your addiction and then seeking help, which The Discovery House takes outstanding pride in providing.
Call us today at 888-962-8208 to get help and begin your road to recovery.