National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month - September 2009

Voices for Recovery

John Pigate

(8/2/2009 ) I came to Minnesota back in 2006 to go to treatment. I was addicted to crystal meth. It began with smoking from a pipe and had just begun to lead to intravenous use. I went through the Pride Institute in Eden Prairie, MN once and stayed sober for two months. This time I went into heavy IV use and the consequences became more severe. The following year, I went back to Pride. This time I stayed sober for 11 months. I relapsed again and was miserable for the five months that I was "out there". Finally, I went to Fairview Riverside in Minneapolis and got further help. Each of the treatments I participated in helped get me to where I am today. I say this so that you will not give up if you have been unsuccessful one, two, five, ten or fifteen times. It is a process. The obsession to use crystal meth has been lifted from me. It's miraculous. Today, I am present in my life. Today, I have hope. And I am so grateful to the State of Minnesota for making this possible for me and countless others. THANK YOU!

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The Recovery Month effort aims to promote the societal benefits of alcohol and drug use disorder treatment, laud the contributions of treatment providers, and promote the message that recovery from alcohol and drug use disorders in all its forms is possible.

Materials and events posted on the National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month (Recovery Month) Web site are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration or the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.