Success Stories

“I Feel Normal Again”

When I relapsed into my old opioid habit, David Lawrence Centers and the M.O.R.E. program gave me hope, new life, and a fresh start.

By Jody

Three years ago, I thought I was on the verge of turning my life around. I had been addicted to opiates for a long time, and I hit rock bottom when I turned to heroin.

But then I got a life-changing phone call from my 14-year-old daughter, who was all too aware of my addictions and feared I was slowly killing myself. “I can’t lose my mom!” she yelled into the phone.

It was truly a wake-up call. I immediately checked myself into the Crossroads Addiction Recovery program at David Lawrence Centers, where I got into recovery clean and had a fresh start.

Things were going well until several months later, when the house I was living in went into foreclosure. One day, I was given 24 hours’ notice to get out.

Suddenly, I had nowhere to go. I had not only lost my home, but I had also lost hope. And I relapsed.

But I knew where to go for help, so I went back to DLC. After I went through detox, they invited me to get into their M.O.R.E. program, which stands for “Maintenance of Opioid Recovery Every Day.” The program, for people facing addiction to opiates, is centered around Suboxone therapy, an opioid-based treatment.

A miracle

To me, Suboxone is pretty much a miracle. It reduces your cravings for drugs and diminishes withdrawal symptoms, setting you up to succeed . . . and not relapse.

Suboxone and the M.O.R.E. program completely changed my life. Breaking an addiction is about the hardest thing a person can do, but between the Suboxone and the counseling sessions, I did it. And I knew my recovery would be successful.

Not only that, but Suboxone has helped a lot with debilitating back pain I’ve had since a cheerleading accident in high school. I no longer need opioids or other strong painkillers, I no longer have horrible headaches, and I’m no longer taking an antidepressant. [Please note: individual results may vary.]

Today, I feel normal, and there’s no better feeling. I haven’t felt this way in a long time. I sleep well, eat well, go to school, and work two jobs. I’m a restaurant manager, I manage my own housecleaning business, and I’m pursuing a business degree online.

Best of all, my relationships with my daughter and son are better than ever. They live with their grandmother in Mississippi during the school year, but spend the summers and school breaks with me. We just took a great family vacation together, covering seven states in two weeks, making lots of memories together.

If it weren’t for DLC and the M.O.R.E. program, I don’t know where I’d be right now. Without them, I don’t think I could function and go through life. I probably would’ve ended up like a lot of friends I’ve lost in the last couple of years.

David Lawrence Centers has helped me become a respectable member of society, which I didn’t ever think I could be again. They’ve helped me realize my worth, and they’ve given me motivation. They’re like family to me.

I’m completely grateful for everything they’ve done, and continue to do.

Supporters like you make success stories like Jody’s possible. Thank you for your support!