{"id":11030,"date":"2022-06-23T22:52:23","date_gmt":"2022-06-23T22:52:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/socialmodelrecovery.org\/staging\/8105\/?p=11030"},"modified":"2024-04-04T10:43:26","modified_gmt":"2024-04-04T10:43:26","slug":"moving-beyond-misery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/socialmodelrecovery.org\/staging\/8105\/2022\/06\/moving-beyond-misery\/","title":{"rendered":"Moving Beyond Misery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Story by Kerry Cooper<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One morning, I looked at my life and I knew that this day was the day that I would do whatever it took to be free from the life of misery that I had led for so long.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the age of 55, I was addicted to crack cocaine and in a state of hopelessness. I was a convicted felon who had been to prison more times than I could count. The brief periods between prison terms were all the same: promises to family that this time when I got out, I would do the right thing: get a job, stop using, and be a productive member of society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t understand why I was paroled from prison and always returned to the same lifestyle that led me to a life of misery and despair. I knew that my life was worth more, and my biggest fear was to die and be remembered as a crackhead. In December 2018, I notified my family that I was DONE<\/strong>, and that I would be going to check into a drug treatment facility. This time was not like the other times and my family knew it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had heard of a program named \u201cRena B\u201d<\/em>, so I called and did a phone screening, but at that time, there were no beds available. I followed up every day, and a few days later, they informed me that there was an available bed at one of their locations called \u201cBimini\u201d<\/em><\/strong>. When I arrived, I knew that I would receive the help that I needed, and I was ready to do whatever it took to never return to the life of misery that I had lived for so many years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  As a resident of \u201cBimini\u201d<\/em><\/strong>, I began to understand that I suffered from a condition that needed to be treated. I received the treatment and learned that I would also need to live a life in recovery. I learned that abstinence alone wasn\u2019t enough. I needed to understand what was going on with me psychologically.  I did what was recommended in the 12-step recovery programs<\/em><\/strong> and was able to discover the root of my disorder and allowed the miracle to manifest. As a result, I began to live a life free from the misery and pain of drug addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After completing treatment at the Bimini, I began working as a street sweeper at Chrysalis Enterprises in skid row. Although I was grateful to be employed, I knew what I really wanted to do was to work in treatment as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor to help others who suffered from addiction as I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I enrolled in Los Angeles City College with the determination to receive the skills and training to reach my goal.  Today, I am proud to say that I am a Group Facilitator in \u201cBimini\u201d<\/strong><\/em>,<\/strong> one of the programs of Social Model Recovery Systems<\/em><\/strong>, and on June 7th<\/sup> of this year, I received my Associate of Arts degrees in both Human Services\/Addiction Studies and Social and Behavior Science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Story by Kerry Cooper One morning, I looked at my life and I knew that this day was the day that I would do whatever it took to be free 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