Nastya’s Way Out Of Drug Addiction – Poltava, Ukraine

Oct 22, 2018 22619

“Now God is my support and sense in life.”

My name is Nastya. I am seventeen. I have gone through drug addiction treatment, which was a real heartrending life experience.

In my early childhood, I was an obedient child; I was a quick learner and attended various hobby groups. However, when I was three years old, my parents got divorced. I began living with my stepfather, and my life changed for the worse. Our family was short of money, and I was almost never given any money at all. Maybe that was the reason I stole money for the first time. I was eight.

At the beginning, I took small amounts of money with my grandmother’s permission. However, once I found a big sum – 3000 hryvnas – and decided to take it for my very own. My mother learnt about it and scolded me. I was awfully ashamed and scared.

When I was twelve, my father died. He died of alcoholism – his kidneys and liver gave out. It was a terrible tragedy for me. It seemed to me that there was no sense left in my life. I needed some moral support but I could not find any. I cried a lot, and I was seriously thinking about suicide. I stopped communicating with my friends, gave up my hobbies and joined the wrong crowd. At the time I did not know what a nightmare that was going to turn into.

I began drinking, smoking, telling lies and stealing money. I made friends with a boy who took amphetamines. With him, my life went into a downward spiral. I also tried amphetamines, and I liked them. I was involved in drug taking and I lost self-control. I took things that were made of gold from home. Once, we even drove away a car and sold it to buy another dose of drugs. It looked like my life was over.

A hope sprang within me that I had a chance to get my life back

My mother went to the police and they declared me as wanted. When the police found me, I felt some relief. After that, I went to a rehab centre for children. I felt bad, but I denied that I had problems. It was then that I met a representative of the rehab centre “There Is A Way Out” who came to visit us. He told about his drug taking experience, and I realised that I was not alone.

I then came to “There Is A Way Out”. A hope sprang within me that I had a chance to get my life back. I was scared but at the same time I felt great supported – they received me with open arms. With the help of different complex programs, meetings and training courses, I was able to understand what was going on with me.

The most important thing is that I have met God thanks to a GNU pastor who conducts Bible study meetings at our rehab centre. Now God is my support and sense in life.

I want to live life to the full again. I felt great support from the young men who were going through the same thing I was. The centre assistants found an individual approach to me and I completely trusted them. My life gradually changes for the better. Now I’m studying to acquire a profession in tourism, am fond of photography, and I dream of becoming a mother.

“There Is A Way Out” is a home from home for me now. I go on working hard on myself. Sometimes it is not easy for me but I have achieved the desired result. Now I know for sure that there is a way out.

– Nastya (Edited by Ella Rodionoff)