Substance Abuse Personal Statement

After graduation, my curious behavior transformed into high-risk behavior, and I found myself spending time together with individuals who consumed alcohol and participated in using drugs. Doing my best to fit in and with a personal desire to be accepted by my peers, I too found myself using alcohol and drugs recreationally. In my continued substance usage and at the early age of twenty, I made the move to Miami Florida. I lived in Florida through the age of thirty-one years old and although I consider those years to be some of the best in my life, it was a life centered around substance abuse. Often, I went from job to job and house to house. At one point I found myself homeless for a stretch of about 8 months sleeping on a friend’s couch with no job and continued substance abuse surrounding my every move. I often called my

Eventually, my high-risk behavior led me to commit another crime. This time, a crime of a much more serious nature for which I got sentenced to 61 months in prison. I never understood just how addicted I was to methamphetamine until the pain of hearing “61 months,” reflected a term of incarceration vs that of a car loan. During those 5 years, I made a sincere effort to change but, I would be lying if I denied still having triggers to this day of wanting to use. The constant battle of fighting off my addiction is a never-ending process but, I know the unsurmountable grief I have placed upon my parents and all my siblings during my incarceration, and it is not something I ever desire to happen again. During my incarceration, all my family members showed me love and support by sending me money to make sure I would survive. While in prison, I made the change I so wished for and no longer used drugs. Not only did I do this for them but for myself as well. I learned to love myself and care deeply for my own health and have managed to remain sober to this