Journey to redemption: Addicts share stories of loss, recovery

SAN ANTONIO – Each addict has their own unique story to tell, their own unique road to how they started their struggle and the path they took to get clean.

Esmeralda Perez and Billy Blevins are each patients of the Center for Health Care Services, which treats people with mental health disorders, substance abuse challenges and those with developmental disabilities. 

They spoke about their journey to redemption after taking opioids, both legally prescribed (for a time) and heroin.

Esmeralda

Esmeralda Perez is in recovery. She’s one of the addicts who was compelled to tell her story and share the journey she’s been on.

Warden has spent many hours with Perez on her road to recovery.

“She’s done so much amazing work,” Warden said. “She’s overcome a lot. She’s willing to do the work necessary to get from methadone maintenance to recovery by dealing with some of those old hurts and pains. She’s taken next steps by going to school and trying to better her life. She goes to work even though she’s in pain.”

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Billy

Billy Blevins is in recovery for a heavy opioid addiction.

Blevins transferred to San Antonio’s Center for Health Care from a clinic in his hometown of New Orleans on a reference by his sister.

He has been in methadone maintenance treatment for the past five months, but the road to recovery wasn’t as easy as leaving his hometown.

Stocking up on opioids in New Orleans was not a problem, he said, and the supply could go a long way if you had $200.

“There was a lot of pain clinics in New Orleans at that time where people would just get handed pills for no reason basically,” Blevins said. “They would just pay $200 to see a doctor and get 90 Somas, 90 painkillers and 90 Xanax just like on a prescript. There was no medical checkup or anything, you were just handed narcotics.”


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