Client Success Story: Jeremy Hoyles
Knowing the consequences can lead to success
By Bob Lytle
Before:
Jeremy is a 46 year old man who has been a substance user – primarily methamphetamine – since he was 18 years old. He had used marijuana a few times, but never like the feeling. Over the years, He had tried to quite using on his own many times, but was never successfully for more than a year at a time. His life as a substance user was time spent sleeping on the street, whoring, stealing, robbing people and of course time spent in jail as a result.
After:
Getting clean was hard, but he knew that this time would be the “last time.” He had met John Turner from Houston Recovery Center in the past and when he ended up on suicide watch at Ben Taub hospital, they reached out to John. Jeremy has been in successful recovery for almost a year. It has been hard at first, but he knew that if he wasn’t successful this time it would kill him. Today, he is on staff at the Open Door Mission rehab facility and his whole attitude and way of thinking is different. His advice for anyone struggling with substance use is reach out for help, trust in faith and the people there who can help, and always look ahead.
Today I feel great, I don’t think about how things were.
Background:
My name is Jeremy. I am 46 years old and been successful recovery for almost a year. I have been a substance user – primarily methamphetamine – since I was 18 years old. I had used marijuana a few times, but never like the feeling. Over the years, I have tried to quite using on my own many times, but was never successfully for more than a year at a time.
Originally from California, my life as a substance user was time spent sleeping on the street, whoring, stealing, robbing people and of course time spent in jail as a result. For the previous 15 years I worked as a truck driver, not an ideal job for a methamphetamine user.
Getting clean was hard, but I knew that this time would be the “last time.”
Getting clean was hard, but I knew that this time would be the “last time.” I knew the consequences, either I’d get clean or I’d be dead. I had met John Turner from Houston Recovery Center in the past and when I ended up on suicide watch at Ben Taub hospital, they reached out to John. He told me, honestly, that this was my last chance. I was transferred to an Alcohol Anonymous (AA) program to continue treatment. John has been wonderful. He keeps in touch, he’s always there for me making sure everything is okay. He has never turned his back on me, unlike so many others in the past.
Today I feel great, I don’t think about how things were.
I think that knowing the consequences of failure are what has allowed me to be successful, the fear of going back to that old life. It was hard at first, but I knew that if I wasn’t successful this time it would kill me.
Today I feel great. I am on staff at the Open Door Mission rehab facility and my whole attitude and way of thinking are different. I don’t think about drugs or alcohol, I don’t think about how things were. My time and the staff at HRC were great. My advice for anyone struggling with substance use is reach out for help, just stay positive, trust in faith and the people there who can help, and always look ahead.