Our declaration of self-esteem

Woke up one morning hopeless and sad
I never intended for things to happen the way they did
I was living a life I didn’t want people knowing about, so I hid.
I devoted myself to getting high and every time I spoke it was always a lie.

I came to Pritchard House broken and lost, fighting my addiction.
It wasn’t that I didn’t care or didn’t love those around me.
All the needs and wants of my addictions just wouldn’t let me see.
Pritchard House helped heal my brokenness of being stuck.
In an addiction that tore many families apart.
I began my healing journey after destroying the foundation I built.
Only when I lost everything I saw, what set in to stay was guilt.
When I finished destroying what I worked so hard to create.
The damage was done, I lost all control and it was too late.
Treatment was useless since I wasn’t willing to let my addiction go.
Unless you lived the life of an addict you will never know.
I didn’t want to come here, but now I see
It was the greatest thing I ever did.
Now I’m ready willing and able to give it my all.
I’m confident that I can catch myself before I fall.
Now that I was forced to get clean for myself
I am happy things worked out the way they did
Happy I didn’t continue to stay in the problem.
I’m doing great now and I even have cash.
I know how to say no and who my true friends are.

Praying and smudging helped and healed my inner self.
To keep my sobriety, I needed my culture and self-worth back.
I thank the seven teachings for getting my life back on track.

Native Addictions Council of Manitoba
Outreach Group 
July – September