Her Lifestyle

Twenty-Eight

Tyreke
I walked into the room where there was a small group of people sitting down I took a seat next to some girl. The therapist walked in and sat down.

"Hello everyone."

"Hello," we all spoke.

"I see we have some new faces for everyone that's new I'm Dr. Bowens and welcome to our group therapy session. We're going to go around and introduce ourselves and tell us what brought you here."

If I could get up and leave I would I really don't want a group of strangers to know why I'm here. It's already enough that I have to do one on one therapy.

Dr. Bowens cleared her throat making me snap out of my thoughts and I realized that it was now on me.

"Uh I'm Tyreke Smith and I'm an alcoholic."

"Now I know for some of you that was hard for you to do because you don't know none of these people in the room and that's okay after a few weeks you'll get to know one another and soon won't be afraid to talk in front of everyone."

I remained quiet as I listened to Dr. Bowens speak and a few people chimed in here and there. It's been a few hours since I last had a drink and I need one right now.

After about an hour I'm back in my room and I'm pacing the floor and keep checking my watch. I need a drink.

"Tyreke you're okay?"

I looked at the door seeing Brenton.

"Yeah."

"You sure you're still pacing the floor and checking your watch."

"I need a drink."

"Ahh you're going through the withdrawal process."

"Withdrawal process?"

"It's been a few hours since you last had a drink and your body is feening for it and if you want to get through this program and not leave you gotta fight it off."

I nodded.

"You want to join me on a run?"

"Where?"

"It's a trail here that I found when I was having withdrawals to drink I started running to get through it."

"How long have you been here?"

"2 weeks."

I nodded.

"Let's go."

I walked out of my room and followed Brenton down the hall.

"How often do you run?"

"I try to do it twice a day."

"Oh okay."

We walked outside and a little ways from the center and we got to the trial and started jogging.

"Do you have family Brenton?"

"Yeah they're the reason that I'm here. What about you?"

"Same I have a child on the way so I gotta get right for him/her."

"Your girl is pregnant?"

"Not my girl I fucked around and cheated on her and we broke up the woman who I cheated on her with is pregnant."

"Oh."

"I was on the alcohol heavy and didn't give a fuck about what I was doing and it cost me my relationship."

"I understand that my fiancé told me to go to rehab and get clean or she's walking away with my kids and I love them with everything in me and I had to come here. I fucked around and choked my fiancé one night in a drunken rage all because she wouldn't let me drive to go get more alcohol I didn't remember anything that happened until the next day when all of her stuff and my kids stuff was gone then I went downhill even more I damn near died from alcohol poisoning she's the one that found me passed out and rushed me to the hospital where my stomach had to be pumped and I was on suicidal watch for 48 hours after seeing my fiancé break down because of me and my drinking and her ultimatum I had to change."

"My sister found me along with my parents seeing the hurt in their eyes got me then I started thinking about my child that I have on the way and my 2 year old son I knew I had to get it right. I gotta get better for myself and for them because they need their father in their life."

"Right."

We made it to the top of the trail and I looked over the city.

"How you feel?"

"Still on edge a little but overall good."

"It'll be all over soon and you'll feel better."

I checked the time seeing that I had an hour before my one on one session start.

"Ready to go back?"

"Yeah I got a session to get ready for."

"Your one on one session."

"Yeah."

Brenton nodded we bruh turned around and took off running down the trail.

Once I was back in my room I closed the door I gathered my things and went to the bathroom. The clamminess in my hands are now gone and the urges I felt to drink are slowly going away which is a good thing. After my session I'm going to call and check in with my parents.

An hour later I was sitting in Dr. Bowens office ready to start my first session.

"Okay Tyreke you said that the reason you're here is because of you being an alcoholic right," she asked.

"Yes I struggled with alcohol before and I went through rehab but I slipped up and failed myself and my family I started back drinking, started treating my ex different, cheated on her and was reckless around my son."

"How were you treating your ex different?"

"I linked up with some old friends from college who have a negative impact on my life I started back drinking staying out late, missing dates, and started seeing another woman and I thought everything was fine until me and my ex got into it and she exploded on me and I exploded on her. I broke her Dr. Bowens I told the woman who I was messing with her personal issues that she told me. I messed things up so bad with Harley she don't even want to see me or look at me and it's my fault."

"Have you two tried talking since then?"

"No she avoids me at all costs and I can't blame anyone but myself."

Dr. Bowens nodded.

"The first step is getting you back to your old self before the alcohol and to heal yourself."

"Okay."

The session continued for another 30 minutes then I made my way back to my room to call and check in with my family.