I want to share with you what paths lead to long-term abstinence from drug-dependent behavior. These are stories about how people walked the most difficult roads to sobriety. They all once said: “I myself.” Their names are hidden to maintain anonymity.1. D. met a girl, she reciprocated. D. had a friend with whom he used (were in the system). His friend also liked the girl D., but the friend could not win her favor. Then one fine day he suggested that D. use it, he injected him with a dose incompatible with life, and said: “Sorry, I can’t pump you out,” and left. D. was so furious that he himself was frightened by the thoughts of revenge that came into his head. This fear kept him sober for 8 years. However, he continued to engage in risky interactions with people who continued to use drugs. And again he found himself in a state of “living corpse”... And again he is sober, works, has no family yet... 2. L. Before the millennium, he was imprisoned for 8 years and during this period he did not use, because. it was not possible. “I freed myself with the thought: “I’ll try to live like normal people, I tried it, it worked, I met a woman with a child and they began to live as a family.” So far it's working. And before prison, I used drugs and developed all the diseases that I could, including HIV and hepatitis, and now I have been registered for this for 9 years - I live and take pills with a huge list of side effects in small print. From this list, I only had colorful dreams, and then they passed and now I only dream of incomprehensible nonsense,” (2017). 3. After his parents’ divorce, T began to live in a family with his father and grandmother, who doted on him. Since adolescence At the age of T., he began to “try everything he could.” At first, the relatives did not notice, but when they found out, they began to worry about him, treated him more than once, then they began to give up and his father’s despair led to suicide. T.’s father still died. in the system, his grandmother took care of him, he did not need anything, and when it was hard because of withdrawal symptoms, his grandmother, out of pity and fear of his death, even gave him money for a dose, she loved him very much, but she could not influence him in any way. This problem led to reconciliation. grandmothers-in-law with T.’s mother. Mom took T. to her place and did not indulge him. “Step by step” she understood in what state he was in every time “it blew his mind.” There was nothing to give his mother money for a dose and he had to think about earning money. He found work periodically, tried again and again, because he had to pay for the apartment himself. After a few years of living with his mother, he gave up drugs.4. M. grew up with his mother, who, after a divorce, raised two children alone. Since childhood, M. was left to his own devices, “grew up on the street.” I tried all the drugs, stole and didn't end up in jail. He went to his father and lived with him, continuing to use drugs. I fell in love with the “right” girl and spent half a year winning her affections. She said, "Think about what happens next." He quit drugs and found a job. Now he lives in her family, is happy with his new life, in his work strives for recognition of the results of his work and rejoices at “every step.”5. N. Because of drugs, he divorced his wife and he became homeless. He wandered around and ended up in a rehabilitation center. He lives and works there, and with his life experience helps others achieve sobriety. The wife got married, but N. communicates with his ex-wife in order to remain the parent of his child.