I’m Benton. I lived a life of active addiction for over 10 years. Drugs masked the feelings of insecurity and anxiety that I felt as a teenager and replaced it with a false sense of self confidence. That’s where it all began. I felt alive and unafraid when I was using. I could argue a point or talk to girls without the fear of rejection. I became reliant on substances to deal with the internal struggles going on inside my head as well as the external issues of trying to be OK around other people. I needed to use more and more to be OK. Most of my waking moments were spent finding ways and means to use more to stay OK. I harmed the people closest to me in the process. I lost control. The drugs stopped working eventually; and I was a mess. I was in pain. My partner, family and friends closest to me were in pain too
After many failed attempts at recovery I eventually got clean when I could no longer live with the pain and suffering I was bringing on myself and the people still in my life. I became willing to do whatever was necessary to recover. I couldn’t do it alone though. I joined 12 Step groups and got professional help. I needed to put in the work on myself too and I made the necessary changes. I live a life today that is so far removed from the horrible way I used to live in active addiction. Recovery has been the greatest gift. I make sure that I show up and live with integrity every day in order to hold onto it.
I’ve seen so many people struggle with addiction over the years. I’ve experienced the highs and the depths of despair of life in addiction. Recovery has given me a life today I could never have dreamed of. Recovery is possible. There is a way out. I chose to become certified as a life coach and addiction counselor to help those of you who have struggled like I have. It doesn’t matter what form the addiction takes, recovery is always possible.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to recovery. Those of us who struggle with addiction certainly have a lot in common. But we are also unique in terms of our life situations. I believe in the bio-psycho-social-spiritual model of addiction and I work holistically. Which means I look at all the areas of your life and help you to make meaningful changes in each of them.
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