Lincoln County Stories

Lance 

I will never forget the night I came to the realization that I was truly addicted to opiates. It was 2011. I was alone in a room, and there was no denying the fact that I was hooked. Immediately behind that realization came the resignation that I would just have to die that way. In my heart I truly believed I could never and would never stop. It didn’t matter that the opiates had destroyed my promising legal career as an attorney. It didn’t matter that my teeth were beginning to fall out. It didn’t matter that my finances and my marriage were on the verge of ruin. I believed that I could not stop. That, my friends, was a lie. 

Not long after that, I began to seek a relationship with God. It is important to note I did not clean up my act and then seek that relationship. I earnestly began to seek that relationship, and God met me right where I was, addicted and on the verge of ruin. I began to realize that maybe “my way” wasn’t the best way. I went to a rehab for the umpteenth time and got clean. However, when I got out, I immediately started attending a 12-step group and did what was suggested. I got a sponsor. I worked the steps. I attended meetings daily. In short, I surrendered. That surrender has made all the difference. Recovery has given me more than I can ever list on this page. It has given me dignity. It has given me love.

I live in a small town. When you live in a small town, everyone knows when you are addicted. But guess what? When you live in a small town EVERYONE knows when you get clean. I remember that during the height of my addiction that people would cross the street to avoid talking with me. Today, when I walk in my hometown, people literally cross the street to hug my neck. Recovery has given me life, and it is waiting for you too.