Ljubica

Drug addiction – Just an ugly past for me!

My name is Ljubica and I was drug addict who lost every hope for life. I started to use heroin when I was seventeen. It came as an answer to every one of those questions that was hanging in my head. It was a comfort for everything that was painful and a mask for everything that I wanted to hide in myself. Soon after that I came to the conclusion that heroin was everything I needed and it became the reason for my existence. Everything I was building in my life, from my identity to my relations with family and friends, I was building on that foundation, which was a one big lie. Unfortunately, I only became aware of that after I was already strongly addicted and infected with hepatitis C. My parents, in their desire to help me, sold everything they had, to (as they said) prolong my life a little longer. Nothing helped. After every attempt to cure myself, I would be closer to bottom and more ready for street-life. The guilt I felt for everything I did, and the lack of strength to change anything were killing me as much as the drug itself. By that time, most of my friends already died. After fourteen years of agony I was left all alone, without any help or support. Even the doctor that was treating me for years directly said that there was no help for me anymore. That’s the time when I attempted suicide…
In despair, I called my brother to take me to Teen Challenge. In a month I was received in the rehab program. I was full of fears, doubts and prejudices. However, the love and care of staff members and other girls in the program gave me trust that I lost a long time ago. I got the chance to meet myself the way I really am. I faced the things I was running from in heroin, and conquered them. Thanks to the program I freed myself from destructive thoughts and built up new positive attitudes. I got new friends like I never had before and my family regained their place in my life that heroin took from it. My brothers are no longer ashamed of me. On the contrary, we are all happy when we are together. That emptiness in me that was searching for drugs doesn’t exist anymore. My life story would never have an ending like this, or would never be told, if Raskrsce Teen Challenge didn’t open its doors for me when all other were closed.
Today I am very happy and completely sure that drug addiction is just an ugly past for me!

Before

After