A Military Man's story of his substance abuse when a tragic event happens to him.

Description

Matt: This is Matt. I am conducting an interview with Chad on substance abuse. So Chad what substance were you mainly abusing?
Chad: Um. Alcohol. Alcohol
Matt: Alcohol. Ok.
Mat: What made you use and abuse alcohol?
Chad: Um. Fourth of July 2014. I had lost my best friend in a boating accident. On that day I had the option of either going and meeting up with that group of friends or I had the option of going to the beach with a group of other friends. And I chose, the beach was only two hours away. The lake that he was at was four hours away. So I chose to go to the beach because it was a two hour less of a drive. And, when I got the call, while I was at the beach that my best friend had passed. I held myself responsible cause I felt like If I had gone to the lake and meet that group of friends then he would’ve ya know talked to me ya know then his jet ski and his boat and that boat wouldn’t have collided at that time. So I just held that guilt that it was my fault that he’s no longer here. That’s what led me to, ya know I was suppressing all of the guilt that I was feeling. The depression from it. I didn’t deal with my problems. I was looking for the answers at the bottom of the bottle. And it led to um a everyday thing so that was the start.
Matt: Ok. Well I’m sorry for your loss. Were you abusing any other substances at this time?
Chad: Um. I was not abusing other substances. Ya know during this time I was in the Marine Corp. And um I knew they do the random drug test thing so.
Matt: Mhm. Yeah, same as the army.
Chad: If I was to uh touch another substance I definitely would have lost everything that I had been working for. But If I had not been in the Marine Corp. Yes I’d probably use other substances. The urge was definitely there. Due to prior Marine Corp, I did use other kinds of drugs, experimental. That urge was always there while I was using the alcohol but just could never come to the point to do it. Cause I didn’t want to lose everything that I had. Yah, yah I mean. Does that answer your question?
Matt: Yeah, yeah, um. So what was your pivotal moment that made you change your life? Or deter from drugs and alcohol?
Chad: Ya know, I would leave work five days a week. Well I drank seven days a week but ya know for the five days that I was at work once I left work. The only thing I was worrying about was just wheres the next drink. Ya know even at work I would take little shooters with me to work just to get me through the work day. And uh finally it was actually at this point I was still a lancer corporal at the Marine Corp and my corporal saw the problem. And he reported it. And uh so pretty much my higher ups gave me the option. They said look its either your gonna go to rehab and you’re gonna get the help that you need or we can send you to rehab and separate you from the Marine Corp. So I definitely did not wanna lose everything ya know I went to the boot camp I went through all this hell. I definitely didn’t want to lose that. Ya know I had already lost friends because I would always choose the bottle over my friends I would always ya know. My girlfriend at the time I would choose the bottle over her. Yah. It was just a um. Rough time ya know.
Matt: So uh where did you go for treatment?
Chad: Point Loma San Diego. Its uh in California. Its an all military all branches of the service go there. It was thirty days of in-treatment. I ended up doing an extra two weeks cause even after the four weeks of being there. I still did not feel confident enough in myself. They were going to release me right before Christmas. And I knew that with Christmas coming and the New Years I knew I’d probably go right back into it so. They kept me through the holidays and yah I got out of there January 2015.
Matt: That’s good. And um my last question is uh. Do you have any regrets?
Chad: Um. I would say, I would say, as far as regrets. No. I mean I did do a lot of things that were probably not right. Cause of like with my money now I was taking money from other people and using it on the alcohol. I would just do anything I could to get the alcohol. So the things that come involved with that was ya know just. But, but today no I forgave myself for everything that I’ve done. That I did while I was using alcohol. And I just take everyday one day at a time. And stay away from the alcohol cause I know if I touch it my whole lifes gonna go downhill. So no I don’t regret anything, I learned to uh that I accepted the things that I couldn’t change and now I gotta move on with life as it is.
Matt: Ok well, thank you for your time Chad.

Participants

• Chad .
  
• Moonesar, Matthew
  

Interview By

• Matthew