I am one of the moderators on this subreddit. I am also a recovering opioid addict. I have been in recovery for 2 years tomorrow. My story: (Thank you)

I have been consistently watching this sub for a few years now, although I have an account that is much older. I recently became a mod, and I am very excited and honored to be a part of the team. <br><br>I am a recovering addict. I have been sober for 2 years now, 7 months of which I spent in a rehab facility. I spent 4 months on methadone, and the last 3 on suboxone. I am currently on no drugs, besides nicotine. <br><br>I began using drugs around age 8, usually taking some of my moms prescription painkillers, which were leftover from an old back surgery. She took them infrequently, so she didn't even realize that they were missing. I would take them at night, before bed, and the feeling was unlike anything I had ever felt before: I was scared, I was anxious, but I was also happy and buzzed. I loved the feeling, and once I discovered that I loved it, I took it every night. She eventually realized that pills were missing and got a lock box, so I moved on to taking her ex-husbands prescription percocets and ritalin. At the time, I had no idea what he was taking them for, but I figured that they must be good for something. My brother, who is 2 years older than me, saw me taking them when we were at her house, and eventually joined in. He was the one who made me aware of this sub. He would always show me the scary stories so that I would be afraid of taking the pills, but it had the opposite effect. I became more and more excited to try them, and eventually, he began to join me. We would trade pills, just to spice it up a little, you know? Some nights I would take all 3: a perc, a painkiller, and a ritalin. It was fun for a while, but I always knew that I had to stop. I didn't want to be a pillhead. That's part of why I stopped taking them. The other part is because my mom found out and called CPS, who put me into a foster care facility. It was hell, but at least I didn't have access to the pills. <br><br>When I was 14, my mom got sober and I moved back in with her. I had a great time with her, and I really thought that she had changed. But she hadn't. One night while she was out, I found a bottle of pills in her room. I didn't even think about it. I just gobbled them up. It was like no time had passed at all. I fell right back into the habit. I would steal pills from her at random, while she was at work and I was at home. I had a jar in my room that I would put them in, and every few nights I would count them. I had hundreds. When my mom found them, it was time to start over, and I did. <br><br>I started over about 5 times, and it never worked out. I was in and out of rehab facilities, but it never worked. Eventually, it just got too much, and I was sent to a new facility. I was appointed a caseworker, and I was put into a program. I had court hearings, I had therapy sessions, I had group meetings. I did everything, and while I relapsed a few times, I am proud to say that I am clean tonight. It has been a long road, and I have hit many bumps. Detox was hellish, but I made it through. I made new friends, found new ways to occupy my time, and got a new job (I used to work at the liquor store in town, haha). I have been sober for 2 years now, and I think I have finally figured it out. We will see, time will tell. <br><br>Sorry if this post was a little coherent, I am just about to go to bed.<br><br>EDIT: Wow! I never expected this many responses. Thank you for all of your kind words. I am so happy that I could help by telling my story. Please take care of yourselves and stay sober!