People in addiction recovery are granted the opportunity to realize their dreams. Those who seek help and set out on the path of sobriety are able to accomplish just about anything. Even people with significant amounts of wreckage from their past can find a way to overcome obstacles and lead a fulfilling, productive life.
At Celebrate Hope, we have had the good fortune of seeing many men and women turn their life around with the help of God and a program of addiction recovery. Our clients come from all walks of life; while their stories are unique, they each share the common bond of mental illness, spiritual sickness, and desire to heal. With a yearning to get sober, and to embrace honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness, the cycle of addiction can be broken.
Of course, the decisions made while under the influence of mind-altering substances can significantly impact the course of one’s life. Some poor choices made in service to the disease can result in having to serve time in a penal institution and potentially leave a seemingly permanent mark on one’s record. For such people, deciding to lead a life in recovery doesn’t mean that a criminal record will not stand in the way of one’s dreams. But, as with all things in life, if a person chooses to continue to do the next right thing, good things can happen. At least, one man’s story makes that abundantly clear!
From Manufacturing Meth to Life In Recovery
Some 13 years ago, former meth user Derek Rygh was literally feeling the heat of his addiction. At the time, Rygh was allowing people to cook methamphetamine in his home in Minnesota, which, subsequently went up in flames, according to The Twin Cities Pioneer Press. Mr. Rygh did not deny to the police what was going on and he went on to be convicted for manufacturing meth. It turns out that this conviction may have been the best thing that ever happened to Rygh.
While in jail for his felony sentence, Rygh was accepted into a faith-based, inpatient addiction treatment program, the article reports. He was in the program for more than a year and never encountered a relapse.
“The program was not easy, but it was my only hope when I felt so completely hopeless,” he said.
After completing the faith-based addiction treatment program, Derek worked for two years to earn an associate degree in Christian leadership. He used the degree by working for the very treatment center that helped him turn his life around. The recovering meth addict got married and now has two children. The next chapter of Derek’s story indeed shows the miracles that recovery can provide.
“I want to become a nurse, but you can’t if you are a felon,” Rygh said. “I have had a lot of hardships in my life that I have survived and a lot of that had to do with nurses and doctors who I am grateful for.”
The young man went before the Minnesota Department of Corrections’ Board of Pardons and requested a pardon extraordinary, which would clear his criminal record, according to the article. With 13 years sober, Rygh was granted his pardon in the twelfth hour of 2018.
Faith-Based Addiction Treatment
We invite men and women battling substance abuse disorder and other addictions to contact Celebrate Hope. Our supportive Christian rehab can help you find freedom from addiction and assist you in reconnecting with God. Our team of addiction professionals shows clients how to put Biblical principles to work as they journey toward long-term recovery.
