We grow up telling our parents that when we grow up we won't drink, or do drugs, but in growing up, something changes in our thought process changes, causing is to rebel and change. My name is Jude Gutierrez, and I am a recovering addict. After battling addiction since I was 13, as of March 9, 2013, I have been 1 year and 6 months sober, and this is my story.

It started when I was 12, I would sneak around and steal cigarettes from my uncle, and stay up till my parents went to sleep to steal sips of an alcohol we had under the cabinets. When I started middle school in 2007 I was first introduced to weed, it was the cool thing to do, we would walk back to a vacant lot behind the school and smoke. That became a habit every few days. But 7th grade was just the beginning for me. When 8th grade came around it was the first time I tried mushrooms, and ecstasy, at that time I had an easily accessible way to get weed. All I had to do was ask a certain person. The summer after eighth was the first time I attempted to stop through treatment, due to my best friend also getting sent to a treatment program, I felt it was time to stop, even though my parents had no idea I had a problem. After 4 months of sobriety of the summer, I relapsed.

High school started, and so did I again, I picked up my old habits, along with abusing perception drugs, and that continued for about a year, until I was with friends and someone had blow, cocaine, from the first time I tried, I loved the rush, the energy I got, and the invincibility I felt. I began using that bi-weekly for about half a year till I began using daily, along with, prescription medication, weed, and many other drugs. I used heavily for close to a year until one night, I overdosed and began