Justin’s Story of Addiction Recovery (SOAR)

Justin M. grew up in a very religious household, which was difficult for him as a young, gay kid. When he was just 14 years old, he ran away from home and lived on the streets, where he was introduced to drugs and alcohol. His substance abuse and addiction started very early in his life, and by the time he was 18, he had already managed to get sober for the first time with the help of the 12-Step Program.

Justin maintained his recovery for several years and he was no stranger to the rooms. He attended his first 12-Step meeting back in 1993 when he first got sober and he had been working the program ever since. However, his addiction wasn’t done with him just yet. Justin continued to struggle with drug and alcohol abuse for years, slipping in and out of recovery but always managing to get sober again on his own.

Justin kept working to maintain his sobriety and by 2015, he had built a solid life for himself. He had a successful career, a stable home, and was generally happy with where he was in life. At the time, he had about seven-and-a-half years of sobriety under his belt, which gave him a sense of security. But unfortunately, it didn’t last.

Justin relapsed again. But this time, things were different. He had started injecting crystal meth, which was something he had never done before. He had never taken it to this level and the drugs had a much stronger hold on him.

“I was pretty successful in my career and was very secure financially, emotionally, spiritually, and physically,” he says. “But in a little over a year, I destroyed every aspect of my life. I ended up on a friend’s couch with not a penny to my name. I did a really good job of destroying everything pretty quickly.”

Justin realized he needed professional help to get sober this time. So he found Nova Recovery Center. In November of 2017, he enrolled in the 90-day residential rehab program. 

Going into Nova, he already had plenty of sober life experience and a toolbox full of skills that he had gained over 20 years of attending 12-Step meetings. But even that wasn’t enough to free him from his addiction this time. He needed personalized one-on-one support and treatment for an extended time.

“Nova was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” he says. “It was the longest 90 days of my life. It was super hard, intense, and uncomfortable, but I think the staff at Nova was really strong. It’s amazing how much work we do there…There were so many times I hated being there and just wanted to dart, but for me, it wasn’t an option to leave.”

Despite the challenges in rehab, Justin fought as hard as he could and came out feeling stronger than ever before. Immediately following treatment, he didn’t have a job so he went to several 12-Step meetings each day and met with a psychiatrist once a month. She consistently monitored his progress and provided support to help him maintain his sobriety.

Although Justin only had $100 to his name the day he left Nova, he returned home and took life in stride, one day at a time. He constantly faced the threat of eviction but every time his landlord was about to make a move, some money would come through and he would be able to pay his bills. Finally, he secured a job and things started turning around.

“I’m really blessed and lucky. Shortly after I got out [of treatment], someone I used to work with years ago called me and asked if I wanted a job, so I took it. That turned into a really big corporate job. Now, I’m a Vice President of a company,” he says. “It’s definitely been a God thing in my life, where I’ve been completely taken care of. All this stuff wasn’t just handed to me though. I’ve worked really hard and did exactly what I was told to do. That’s super important.”

Today, Justin has been sober for three years and eight months. He still has a sponsor and attends four to five 12-Step meetings each week. He stays actively involved as treasurer of a meeting and is on the board of a sober event that’s hosted annually. Justin’s household has also recently grown with the addition of a sweet Jack Russell Terrier and he spends much of his free time renovating and updating the new home he just purchased.

“The program is very much a part of my life. It is front and center and I know from being around the rooms for twenty-five years that it needs to stay front and center,” he says. “That is why I’m still sober. You can’t just go and be done. It doesn’t work like that.”

Justin says the most important thing for him was to remain humble and teachable. Even though he had been sober for years before going to Nova, he went into treatment acting like he knew nothing. He listened, was open to change, and did what he was asked to do, which has all paid off.

If you need help to get sober like Justin did, it’s available to you now. Please call (888) 427-4932 or contact us online to speak with an admissions representative at Nova Recovery Center.