Two years ago, 17-year-old Tianna of Eugene, OR, didn’t consider cocaine a big deal; the drug seemed no more dangerous than the alcohol and marijuana she was already into. So when an older friend asked if she’d like to try some, Tianna agreed

“I was really nervous at first,” she admits, “because I didn’t like the thought of anything going into my nose…. Little did I know, it would eventually become a regular habit.”

We’ve all been warned by our parents or health teachers about the dangers of drugs. We’ve heard the true stories of stellar athletes who lost interest in sports, straight-A students who dropped out of high school, beloved teens who overdosed or were killed by driving drunk. Tianna’s story of how she battled her addiction to regain control of her life is just as true and very uplifting.

photo by behind-the-lense on Flickr.com

The Problem Exposed

After a year or so of regularly using cocaine both at parties with friends and alone in her room, Tianna was forced to recognize that she had a problem. She ran out of money to pay for drugs and took the situation as an opportunity to try quitting by herself. It wasn’t just money (or lack thereof) that compelled her to change her lifestyle, though. According to Tianna, what really motivated her to try quitting was the knowledge that drugs had transformed her life for the worse.

“Before I started using,” she says, “I was a straight-A student. I was really talented…and to see that I was letting it all go—my talents, knowledge and skills—just to be addicted to some drug that was doing nothing for me? I wanted my life back.”

During the two weeks that she spent home from school going without cocaine, Tianna was exhausted. Cocaine had allowed her to stay up for days, and without that stimulus to keep her awake, she took to sleeping for days on end. At some point during those two weeks, her best friend—who used cocaine recreationally but feared the hold it had on Tianna—told Tianna’s mother about her daughter’s addiction. The healing process started almost immediately as Tianna and her mother addressed the addiction that had come between them for so long.

“My mom wasn’t even angry when she found out,” Tianna says. “She was happy that my problem was finally exposed and that we could do something to help me get better. She asked me if I would get an evaluation from a drug counselor.”

The Right Support

“The counselor and I decided that I would be a great candidate to be a live-in patient at the facility. I knew that if I lived at home and got treatment, I wouldn’t stand a chance of staying clean,” explains Tianna. “The most valuable thing that I learned there was that you must find sober friends. If you’re home and you’re hanging out with the same people that you used with or used around, there is no chance that you will stay sober for very long.”

Tianna ended up being an inpatient for a few months, living in the facility, and an outpatient for a few months, where she lived at home while receiving treatment. She admits that the experience was scary at first.

“I didn’t know anybody there, and it took getting used to, just as it would take getting used to moving in anywhere else,” Tianna recalls.

Her daily schedule, which started with a wake-up call at 7 a.m., consisted of breakfast, schooling and spending time in the afternoons with the five other girls who participated in the rehab program. Tianna earned her general education diploma (GED) in place of her high school diploma while at the center and then moved on to fulfill goals that had been left on the sidelines while she was using cocaine.

Drive and Determination

“It’s been a little over a year [since rehab], and I couldn’t be happier,” Tianna says. “The things I always dreamed about when I was younger—like driving, having a job, going to college, falling in love—never happened when I was using drugs. Being sober, I’ve accomplished all of these things and more. I competed in a pageant, I’m doing work on an advisory board for the teen treatment program that I participated in myself and I’m dancing, which has been my passion since I was a child. I feel like superwoman!”

During her journey to conquer her addiction, Tianna lost several friends, especially those who were using with her and don’t yet realize the extent of their problems. They attempted to keep in touch at first, inviting her to the same old parties that she used to attend, but she insisted on leaving them behind and got a new phone number and MySpace page.

“I was trying to move on while people were trying to get a hold of me, and I wasn’t having it,” Tianna says.

Tianna’s drive and determination as she conquered her cocaine addiction is an inspiration to other teens, whether they have a similar addiction or not. What’s important to remember is that there is always help. With the right support, you can turn any situation around, as long as you have the commitment to do so.

For drug treatment information and referrals, call the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at 1-800-729-6686 or the National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).