Russell Brand’s decade-long abstinence from drugs is hope for many others. In an article for The Guardian, Brand shares his struggle and success:
“I cannot accurately convey to you the efficiency of heroin in neutralising pain. It transforms a tight, white fist into a gentle, brown wave. From my first inhalation 15 years ago, it fumigated my private hell and lay me down in its hazy pastures and a bathroom floor in Hackney embraced me like a womb.
This shadow is darkly cast on the retina of my soul and whenever I am dislodged from comfort my focus falls there.
It is 10 years since I used drugs or drank alcohol and my life has improved immeasurably. I have a job, a house, a cat, good friendships and generally a bright outlook.”
Since his sobriety, Brand has been advocating for substance abstinence, and supporting the recovery of fellow alcoholics and drug addicts. His case shows that while the battle can be hard and long, there exist supportive circles of people that can make the struggle less difficult.
Like the Brand of over ten years ago, millions of Americans have suffered or still are suffering from addictions. Drug use, for instance, is a rampant problem. A 2010 study by the federal Department of Health and Human Services sheds light on the 22 million Americans using drugs for recreational purposes, from marijuana to cocaine, to hallucinogens and inhalants. More and more people are being exposed to and pressured the drug subculture in communal activities; more, too, are biting into drugs’ fleeting promise of joy.
This is where rehabilitation centers become significant. Professional treatment services tailored to the individual’s situation are provided in such venues. For instance, the Midwest Institute for Addiction, a drug rehab in St. Louis, has established programs backed with approaches that take addiction and psychosocial factors into consideration.
Medically-assisted treatment and counseling are also offered in institutions like these. While self-help and determination can aid in recovery, sharing a professional relationship of trust, openness and honesty with a drug rehab personnel can direct one to the appropriate options and levels of care.
If you are dealing with substance addiction, follow the road to recovery by checking and finding support in a St. Louis drug rehab.
(Source: Russell Brand: my life without drugs, The Guardian, 9 Mar 2013)
