Real Stories from Ten Young People in Recovery
Real life accounts of behaviors on the RAMP® to addiction, including depression anxiety and co-occurring mental health challenges.
Here are real stories from teens and young adults in recovery who provided inspiration and input for RecoveryBuild APG.
These videos were created by Behavioral Health Innovators with funding from Alkermes Inspiration Grants®.
If these messages speak to you, please share!
Emily’s story has 10 chapters, click the playlist icon in the upper right of the screen to navigate between chapters.
“It’s OK to ask for help” Emily is a 16 year old in recovery from addiction who is wise beyond her years. She contemplated suicide herself, but wants people to know that asking for help is not a weakness. She talks about healthy coping skills, social media, anxiety, self harm and other topics.
Melvin’s story has 8 chapters, click the playlist icon in the upper right of the screen to navigate between chapters.
“I didn’t recognize the person in the mirror” Melvin is a college student who gave up his dreams of being a policeman due to his alcohol addiction. He talks about his downward spiral where he “couldn’t recognize the person in the mirror” in the end, but how he is now getting back to his dream.
Heather’s story has 5 chapters, click the playlist icon in the upper right of the screen to navigate between chapters.
Heather is a 16 year old high school student who started smoking spice and then started using other drugs. She has great advice if you are worried about a friend.
Josh’s story has 6 chapters, click the playlist icon in the upper right of the screen to navigate between chapters.
Josh is a young man in recovery who talks about not being “raised that way.” Josh wants people to think about why they want to keep using. If you are using because it “makes you feel a different way…then most likely you will become dependently addicted. The friends that you choose… can play a big part.”
Shana’s story has 6 chapters, click the playlist icon in the upper right of the screen to navigate between chapters.
Shana is a young woman in recovery who tells us of her drinking and drugging because ”her insides were unhappy” and how that created a vicious cycle for her. She also reminds us that “comparison is the thief of joy” when it comes to social media.
Brianna’s story has 6 chapters, click the playlist icon in the upper right of the screen to navigate between chapters.
“It only takes one person to believe in you” Brianna is a young woman in recovery from a heroin addiction. She wants people to think about what is behind their drinking or drugging, and how to avoid the same painful pathway she went down. She credits her recovery to a policeman who was kind, and listened to her when she needed help.
Mary’s story has 5 chapters, click the playlist icon in the upper right of the screen to navigate between chapters.
“This wasn’t where my life was meant to go.” Mary is a college student in recovery from alcohol addiction with great wisdom about how drinking “isn’t what’s best” for young brains.
Freddy’s story has 7 chapters, click the playlist icon in the upper right of the screen to navigate between chapters.
Freddy is a young adult in recovery who talks about his early experiences in trying to “fit in” but “looking back, I wish I could have just embraced who I was. Your story matters, you are valuable, you have gifts, you are not a mistake, you’re somebody.”
Tyler’s story has 4 chapters, click the playlist icon in the upper right of the screen to navigate between chapters.
Tyler is a young adult in recovery who talks about how drinking and drugging “carves out this pathway and it becomes like an automatic behavior” but the “The biggest thing that I have learned is to just love people where they’re at”
Cat’s story has 7 chapters, click the playlist icon in the upper right of the screen to navigate between chapters
As an individual in long-term recovery and a survivor of domestic abuse, Cat teaches those in both communities that the “life skills you develop to take yourself out of depression and anxiety you will use throughout your life. Drugs are never the solution. . . drugs are just for the moment.”