Gavin G.

Growing up, life was pretty unstable. I was continually out of the house, doing my own thing. I got connected to a rough crowd and the majority of my friends were much older than me. My addiction began at the age of 13. It started out with smoking marijuana regularly, but as I got older, I was introduced to other drugs from those around me. My drug of choice, however, was opiates. I primarily used drugs and alcohol to serve as a means to handle grief. I felt that substances offered emotional stability for me. I came to Teen Challenge to become closer to God, to learn the tools to live a healthy and clean life, and to put down substances once and for all. While in the program, I hope to learn healthy coping mechanisms that I will be able to use as an alternative to drugs and alcohol.