Two Paths Diverged

Hello, my name is Angela; I am from the Westside of Atlanta. I was born at Grady hospital, so you can call me a true "atlien". I have a sister that is 4 years younger than me. At the young age of 22 years old I was living life: I had a place to live, I was a student in college, and at that moment I was truly a responsible person. It’s crazy how one decision can change the trajectory of one’s life. I was introduced to an illegal substance that I probably should’ve stayed away from. To create an illustration for you; imagine you are driving and come to a stop sign, and there are only two ways you can go right or left. The decision I made lead me down an 11-year path that wasn’t the best for me or my loved ones. In January 2000, I was arrested and was in jail for 4 months. As I was released I felt like at that moment I was finally able to see myself. Shortly after my jail release, I ran into Ms. Quinn a good friend of mine. She said something profound, if you ever need help getting clean, give me a call.” She followed by giving me her card. Maybe about 2 months later, I was home and saw her card on the table, and made a major decision to give her a call. She assisted me in realizing the greatness I had in myself and that I could overcome. I also had a son, and that was a major factor of me wanting to get right.

The fact that God gave me another shot at life, I had to get clean and try to maximize my life. I reached the point I wanted to and I was drug-free for 16 years. The time I was drug-free was truly a great moment of life. A minor mistake I made was to think that drinking alcohol would be better than using those illegal substances.

Truthfully, I was in a rut and was drinking daily to not deal with the loss of my mother.

Every emotional moment that came my way I felt drinking would be an outlet for me. Honestly, I felt that would be a way for me to get away from whatever I was going through. I truly learned that those things were a recipe for disaster. I looked deep down inside of myself and decided that being a drunk for the rest of my life wouldn’t be my life story.

Last September, I went to Saint Jude’s detox center in downtown Atlanta for 21 days. The detox center was very helpful for me to start another journey to being substance-free. October 30th of last year, I entered into My Sister’s keeper, and going to treatment was the best thing that could’ve happen to me. This program is allowing me to be guided and also receiving suggestions to be a better person. I’m in a position of learning about myself; I’m able to see how strong the mind is when it comes to substance abuse and addiction. These programs helped show me that life is full of opportunities to live a better life. Right now I’m in a position where I never want to relapse again. Setting healthy boundaries helps me understand self-preservation, and I can promise you that changing your mindset gets you one step closer to freedom. At the moment, I’m back in school at Southern Crescent for business management. I am on the right path to the life I want to live, and for me, that’s what excites me.