Once shackled to heroin, Stuart's now free from addiction
by Ryan Bartels | May 19, 2020 | My Story | 8 comments
Experimentation with opiates began at the age of 17 to help offset the negativity he experienced from social anxiety and mild depression, but by his early 20's Stuart found himself suffocating in a constriction of chemical dependency that had woven its tentacles into heroin, methamphetamines and fentanyl.
"I wasn't living up to my potential," he said, "that really got to me. I thought drugs would help my mental state."
Stuart stand proud outside the Royal Pines Center
Stuart managed to get clean twice before the age of 25, but poor decisions surrounding the use of Tianna, a legal dietary supplement that produces opioid-like effects in the body, paved an express lane back to the needle. "I was hooked again pretty much instantly," he said. "Things got so bad that I literally could not function if I wasn't on drugs."
Even while battling the relentless storm of manufactured euphoria and its inevitable debilitating sickness, Stuart could see through the clouds on occasion and witnessed the meaningfulness of his life slipping away with unrivaled clarity.
"My life quit moving forward at age 16. It just stopped."
One such moment occurred at his young niece's birthday party and ultimately helped anchor his decision to seek help once again.
"I pulled my phone out of my pocket while I was in the bathroom and two needles fell on the floor," he said with an intense focus while he watched the memory replay in his mind. "There were kids in there with their parents and everyone saw it."
After being dismissed from the property, Stuart spent the remainder of the day alone outside, enraged at the embarrassment of the situation, but even more so at the insanity of the world he'd created.
Stuart practices playing his guitar
"I was scared and ashamed because I was doing so good and then all of a sudden I was flat on my face again," he recalled.
Stuart knew that the biggest culprit to his repeated downfalls was returning to an environment that was a catalyst to toxic behavior. Without daily structure, meaningful work and education, old routines became familiar once again. This counterfeit comfort led to multiple car wrecks, jail time and even accusations of drug dealing.
"My parents are great people," he said. "They love me and want to be there for me, but they were easy for me to manipulate and eventually grew tired of it. One day they basically said, 'you're getting help or you're out on the street.'"
This tough love coupled with Stuart's own genuine desire to rid his life of addiction permanently brought him back to Royal Pines.
"I found a peace here, and people saw potential in me that I've never seen or thought of."
"This place is on a whole other level," he said. "It's not just recovery, it's brought out all the good in me that I'd locked away or forgot about. That stuff is there without the drugs, I just have to be myself.
"I've learned from my mistakes and the Active Recovery program here has taught me how to be healthy. I know what I need to do to stay focused and I want to continue to build on this new life that I've started."
Stuart is excelling in the engineering technology program at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville and hopes to eventually pursue a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.
Your generosity has helped give Stuart's life new purpose and put him on the path toward success.
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James Shrove	on May 20, 2020 at 12:02 pm
Royal Pines is a Godsend absolutely. The place saved my life and countless others. Really proud of you Stewart, continue pushing forward bro.
Margaret Brooke	on June 29, 2020 at 6:38 pm
I, too, am proud of you and wish you God's blessings in the future. You CAN do this with His help! A person I dearly love was helped here12 years ago and has had two minor surgeries declining pain meds as the Lortab is where his first troubles began. I thank God for this place where he first got off of drugs and then learned of his worth and of the hope in Jesus. He also learned ways to decline drugs which helped his success rate. Thanks to Royal Pines!
Janice	on May 22, 2020 at 4:25 pm
My brother, who is now in heaven, was at Royal Pines for some time. I never saw him as happy as he was there.
Ryan Bartels	on May 26, 2020 at 8:19 pm
We are so sorry to hear about your loss. We are grateful that his experience at the Pines was a healthy one and thank you for sharing these sentiments with us. Every life impacted matters.
Judith Ashelin	on May 23, 2020 at 10:03 pm
My youngest son is also an addict. Started with his surgery in Senior High please. Tell me how to pay for you to treat him. He and his other two brothers have had this addiction
We are terribly sorry to hear about this situation. Unfortunately, we see this all too often. Our services are FREE to those in need, however, if he is an adult, he will need to fill out our online application. You may do so if you are his legal guardian. The application can be found under the "Become a Client" button on the Royal Pines home page.
Linda	on May 24, 2020 at 7:17 pm
How do you get someone in there? My 24 yr old grandson just released from prison. I'm afraid he'll get with old friends and get back on drugs.
There is an online application he will need to fill out. It can be found under the "Become a Client" button on the Royal Pines home page. Please note that there may still be a waiting list, but we encourage anyone interested in our services to fill out an application. You can also call us for more information.
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