21-year-old Dan* had always loved the thrill of sports. Growing up, he excelled in football, baseball, and basketball, and later in extreme sports like snowboarding and skateboarding. The summer after Dan graduated from high school, a shoulder injury from snowboarding and football required two major surgeries. His doctor prescribed Percocet and Vicodin for the pain from the surgery. Dan would never be the same.

Even after he had recuperated, Dan continued to take the medication because, he said, “I felt amazing while taking the pills.” Before he knew it, he was addicted, and when the pills ran out, Dan began to experience the harsh reality of withdrawal. He turned to the black market for painkillers, and soon started a horrific relationship with heroin, a cheaper substitute for the prescription opiates. 

Dan’s life began to spiral out of control. He maxed out his credit cards and stopped paying taxes and rent. He stole from his family, pawned nearly everything he owned, and spent a $15,000 CD on drugs. Dan failed out of college, and after stealing from his employer, he was fired from his job. “I rapidly lost my health, mind, and every person I was close to,” Dan says. “This wasn’t like me. I had always been a very respectful, smart person with values and morals.”

Fortunately, Dan’s parents helped him turn his life around. They checked him into a detox program, and he completed aftercare at Community Mental Health Affiliates’ (CMHA) Alliance Treatment Center in New Britain. He attends meetings with his family, has a treatment plan to stay drug-free, and is committed to living drug-free.

* name changed to protect privacy