Success Stories
Understanding the Language of Recovery
He started using when he was 11-years-old. At 15 he was living on his own. He was a musician who ran with the grown-ups. By the time Benito Carrion was 18, he was addicted to heroin. For nearly 40 years he used treatment and detox to get back on his feet, just so he could use again. Decades of abuse took its toll. He lost his home, cars, and job. He was tired and ready to change his life. Benito says, “You gotta want it,” and with that, two and a half years ago, he entered Project Rehab’s Hispanic Residential Program, the only program in Michigan the provides culturallysensitive residential treatment. The Hispanic Recovery Program put Benny at ease. He was among people with a similar cultural background. He could concentrate on establishing a relationship with his higher power. Whether his lessons were delivered in Spanish or English, he learned to be responsible for himself. He learned how to wake up each morning and pray for another day of sobriety. He learned to respect himself and others. Today Benito says, “I have peace. Now I can live with myself.” His extended family includes six children, eight stepchildren, and six grandchildren. What he learned about himself and the recovery process has given him the strength and courage to begin working on family reunification. His goal is to one day work in a recovery program. His dream is to be an actor in movies.
Benito’s story appears in 40 Stories of Courage and Hope: Celebrating 40 Years of Project Rehab, which was published in Fall 2008 in recognition of Project Rehab’s 40th anniversary. Click here to read more stories about our courageous clients and the treatment pioneers who helped make recovery possible.
This story is sponsored by Berends Hendricks Stuit Insurance Agency