The Disease Of Addiction – Mathew’s Recovery Story

Addiction is a chronic condition that can change how the brain responds to reward, stress, and decision-making. Over time, substance use can affect physical and mental health, behavior, careers, and relationships with the people who matter most. Understanding addiction as a disease rather than a moral failing can help reduce stigma and encourage people to seek professional support. Mathew’s Recovery Story offers a personal look at how addiction can develop, progress, and reshape a person’s life. Through his experiences with substance use, relationships, treatment, and recovery, Mathew shares the realities of his journey. His story also provides an opportunity to explore how addiction works, why recovery can be challenging, and how rehab in Russellville AR​ programs can provide support and tools for lasting change.

Every Story is Unique. Here’s How Mathew’s Story Started

While people who suffer from addiction may have similar experiences, every story is unique, and Mathew wants to share his story in hopes of helping others.

He said, “While my story differs from many you may have heard, that doesn’t make me special.”

There are many factors that can lead to addiction, and often include past trauma that occurred during childhood or adolescence. They can also include genetics, mental health illnesses, and environmental factors. 

Mathew said, “I lived an almost ideal childhood with both parents until I was 16. I was and still am very loved, never abused or neglected, and blessed with talents many would love to have.”

However, money wasn’t abundant, though he never thought of it as a major issue, as he never wanted anything.

Yet, the disease of addiction hit him hard at an early age, which caused trauma that still follows him today.

He said, “Wherever I go, it’s a shadow I cannot run away from.”

Mathew’s addiction started at age 7 with food. He would take food, particularly sweets, when people weren’t looking, and then lie about it when asked where it was or where it went.

He said, “These are deceptive traits. They aided me with many addictions yet to come.”

Next came a surprising addiction for a third grader — pornography. At age 16, he had his first drinking experience.

Mathew said, “Two of my best friends and I drank a 1/2 gallon of vodka, killing the whole thing between us.”

He said in all honesty, “There was no pain to cover up or trauma to deal with. I just loved it. The next morning, I was severely hungover, yet I loved the altered state of consciousness so much that I couldn’t wait to drink again. That day was January 4, 2010, and that feeling of having to have more and more substances still plagues me today.”

At 17, he tore a disc in his back while lifting weights, which led to an introduction to pain pills. Even after the pain stopped, he found ways to get a hold of them.

He said, “I felt invincible and euphoric, and they were a true performance enhancer. I graduated high school with a 4.08 GPA. I played football well enough to earn a scholarship to Oklahoma Baptist University, something I had dreamt of since I was old enough to throw a ball.”

However, going to a new place and a new life meant he couldn’t get the fix he needed to perform how he was accustomed to. He ended up bailing out of his dream after only a year.

He said, “That’s when the actual trauma started. Drinking and smoking became the norm for me. Because I excelled at my job, I didn’t see it as a problem. I mean, what 20-year-old didn’t get ‘tore up from the floor up’ any chance he got? At least, that’s how my brain rationalized it.”

Impact of Addiction on Mathew’s Relationships

Mathew met his now ex-wife at his job.

He recalls, “It was love unlike I had ever experienced before or since.” Mathew was at the peak of life. He had the love of his life, a great job, and reliable transportation.

“It was the happiest life I had lived up to this point,” he said.

He continued, “And yet, I came across opiates again. There wasn’t any physical pain. Yet, as soon as the pills kicked in, that warm feeling came over me, and I knew instantly that I had to do whatever it took to keep the pills coming. I started to lie to my wife and steal pills from wherever I could find them. Everything else be damned. Eventually, she realized what I had been in denial about: I loved getting high more than I loved her.”

Mathew said, “The divorce that ensued brought pain I would never wish upon any human being. Knowing that it was my fault drove me into a depression that I never thought I could escape.”

For Mathew, his life became meaningless.

“I could no longer work. All I could do was whatever substance was in front of me,” he continued. Since alcohol was the easiest to obtain, it became the primary addiction.

He said, “But I never drank to escape the pain. I drank to feel the pain. I would listen to songs that reminded me of her.”

He felt it was the punishment he deserved. The addiction continued and only got worse as he moved on to other substances.

He said, “The only six-month stretch where I didn’t drink was, ironically, the worst my addiction had ever been.”

This was during his “second and only other serious relationship to date,” which revolved around the motto, “Anything but sober.”

He said, “We bought out the worst in each other and had the audacity to call it love. My primary addiction was alcohol; hers was Benzos (such as Xanax). However, in our twisted minds, methamphetamines were a common ground that we found. That relationship ended, as you might expect.”

They both checked into rehab facilities independently after splitting up.

Mathew reflected, “She lost custody of her son temporarily, and I lost the family I had loved, all because of a substance neither of us wanted to use.”

The Turning Point That Led to Treatment

Mathew’s first stay at rehab was in a seven-month program.

He said, “That’s where I cemented my faith in Christ. However, I did not receive the education or tools to help me remain sober.” Mathew is thankful that he found Lake Point.

He said, “I am learning those tools. I’m a little over halfway through the program. My recovery has me primed to live better. Between meetings, group counseling sessions, and learning from my peers, I have learned more in my first two weeks than in the 29 years of life experience thus far.”

Mathew believes that a lot of creativity comes with maintaining an addiction. Now he is rechanneling that creativity to achieve his dreams.

He said, “I have my faith and a tremendous support group. Now it’s time to accept that addiction is a lifetime battle and then get what I’ve always wanted. The only thing standing between me and a family, a degree, and a career in journalism was a disease.”

He continued, “Thanks to Lake Point and the work I do every day, it’s mine for the taking. Don’t feel sorry for me or any of my peers. We don’t want your sympathy, but we need your empathy.”

What Is the Disease of Addiction?

Addiction is not a lack of character, poor judgment, or a moral failing. It is a complex medical condition that can change the brain and affect a person’s ability to control substance use despite serious consequences. Understanding the disease of addiction can help replace judgment with empathy while showing why professional treatment is often necessary. For some individuals, intensive outpatient addiction treatment can provide structured support while allowing them to maintain responsibilities at home, work, or school. Repeated substance use can affect brain systems involved in reward, motivation, stress, judgment, and self-control. Over time, substances may become increasingly connected to the brain’s reward system. At the same time, everyday activities that once brought satisfaction may feel less rewarding. These changes help explain why someone can genuinely want to stop drinking or using drugs but continue despite damaged relationships, health problems, financial consequences, or other losses.

Mathew’s story puts a human face on this process. He recognized the damage substances were causing, but recognizing a problem and being able to stop it were not the same thing. His experiences with alcohol, opioids, and other substances gradually affected nearly every part of his life. That is also why relapse should not automatically be viewed as evidence that treatment has failed. Addiction is a chronic condition, and symptoms can return. Stress, exposure to substances, familiar environments, untreated mental health concerns, and powerful cravings can all increase the risk of returning to use. Recovery focuses on learning how to recognize these risks, respond to them differently, and build a life that supports continued sobriety.

The scale of the problem remains significant. In 2024, approximately 48.4 million Americans age 12 or older had a substance use disorder during the previous year. Although overdose deaths have declined substantially, CDC provisional data estimate nearly 70,000 drug overdose deaths occurred nationwide in 2025. These numbers demonstrate both the continuing need for treatment and the possibility of meaningful progress.

Signs and Risk Factors for Addiction

There is no single cause of addiction. Genetics, a person’s environment, mental health, age of first substance exposure, stress, trauma, and other individual circumstances may all contribute to risk. Mathew’s experience is an important reminder that addiction does not always begin with a traumatic event. As he explains in his story, he grew up feeling loved and supported. His early experiences challenge the assumption that everyone who develops an addiction must have experienced abuse, neglect, or another specific childhood trauma.

Warning signs can also look different from person to person. Some common signs of a developing substance use disorder include:

• Needing more of a substance to experience the same effect
• Experiencing strong cravings or urges to use
• Repeatedly trying and being unable to reduce substance use
• Continuing to use despite problems with family, work, school, finances, or health
• Spending significant amounts of time obtaining, using, or recovering from substances
• Giving up activities or relationships because of substance use
• Using substances in dangerous situations
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms after reducing or stopping use
• Hiding, lying about, or minimizing substance use

A person does not have to lose everything before seeking help. Early intervention can provide an opportunity to address substance use before its consequences become even more severe.

Treatment Options at Lake Point Recovery & Wellness

Recovery rarely follows one identical path. The right level of care can depend on the substance being used, withdrawal risks, physical and mental health, previous treatment experiences, home environment, and other individual needs. At Lake Point Recovery & Wellness, we provide structured support designed to help individuals address substance use and develop skills that support recovery.

Treatment may address alcohol, illicit substances, and prescription drug use. Depending on individual needs, available support and treatment options may include:

• Alcohol addiction treatment: People searching for alcohol rehab centers in Arkansas can receive structured support focused on alcohol use, healthy coping strategies, relapse prevention, and continued recovery.
• Drug addiction treatment: An Arkansas drug rehab program can help individuals understand patterns of substance use, identify triggers, and develop practical strategies for maintaining recovery.
• Methamphetamine treatment: Rehab for meth addiction can address the behavioral, emotional, and physical effects associated with methamphetamine use while helping clients establish healthier routines.
• Cocaine treatment: Cocaine addiction rehab can provide counseling, behavioral support, relapse-prevention strategies, and tools for managing cravings and triggers.
• Opioid treatment: Opioid addiction rehab can help individuals address opioid use while developing a personalized plan for treatment and ongoing recovery.
• Benzodiazepine treatment: Rehab benzodiazepine addiction services can provide support for people struggling with substances such as Xanax and other benzodiazepines. Because withdrawal can carry serious risks, individual needs should be carefully evaluated.
• Suboxone-related treatment: Individuals seeking Suboxone rehab may need support addressing problematic use while considering their broader substance use history and recovery needs.
• Amphetamine treatment: Amphetamine addiction treatment can address problematic stimulant use through structured counseling, behavioral strategies, peer support, and recovery planning.
• Prescription drug treatment: Prescription drug addiction rehab can help people whose use of medications has become difficult to control or has begun negatively affecting their health and daily life.
• Marijuana treatment: Rehab for marijuana addiction can help individuals address problematic cannabis use, understand triggers, and develop healthier ways to manage stress and other challenges.
• Ketamine treatment: Ketamine addiction rehab can provide structured support for individuals experiencing problematic ketamine use and its effects on their health, behavior, and daily functioning.

What Are the Stages of Addiction Recovery?

Recovery is better understood as an ongoing process than as a single moment when someone becomes “cured.” Progress may include several stages, and the experience is rarely perfectly linear. The beginning often involves recognizing that substance use has become harmful and becoming willing to consider change. For Mathew, reaching treatment and recognizing addiction as a lifelong condition represented a major change in how he understood his experiences.

The next stages can involve stabilization and active treatment. Depending on individual needs, this may include withdrawal support, residential care, individual counseling, group therapy, peer support, behavioral therapies, and learning practical strategies for managing triggers and cravings. Continuing care is equally important. Returning home does not make the biological, psychological, or environmental risks associated with addiction disappear. An aftercare plan may include outpatient treatment, recovery meetings, counseling, supportive relationships, healthy routines, and strategies for responding when cravings or high-risk situations arise. Professional treatment helps people develop these tools in a structured setting instead of expecting them to overcome a chronic condition through willpower alone.

Recovery Outcomes: A Better Life Is Possible

Successful recovery means more than simply counting days without alcohol or drugs. It can involve rebuilding relationships, improving physical and emotional health, returning to work or education, establishing stability, developing healthier coping skills, and rediscovering goals that substance use pushed aside. There is no universal timeline for reaching those outcomes. Some people experience setbacks or return to treatment more than once. A recurrence of substance use should be taken seriously, but it does not erase previous progress or mean that future recovery is impossible. Instead, it can indicate that a treatment or recovery plan needs additional support or adjustment.

Mathew’s experience reflects that reality. His first treatment experience did not give him every tool he needed for lasting sobriety. At Lake Point, he describes learning through meetings, group counseling, his peers, his faith, and daily recovery work. His story is one person’s experience, not a guarantee of another person’s treatment outcome. Yet it demonstrates something important: even after years of addiction and significant losses, seeking help can create an opportunity to build something different.

Mathew’s Recovery Story Shows That Change Is Possible

Mathew’s journey demonstrates how deeply addiction can affect health, relationships, goals, and everyday life, but his story also highlights the value of seeking help. Recovery is an ongoing process that requires commitment, support, and practical tools for managing challenges along the way. Through treatment, counseling, peer support, and his own daily efforts, Mathew began building a stronger foundation for the future he wanted. His experience is unique, but others struggling with substance use can also take the first step toward change. Lake Point Recovery & Wellness provides support for individuals facing alcohol and drug addiction. If you or someone you love needs help, contact Lake Point Recovery & Wellness today to learn more about available treatment options and begin moving toward recovery.