Q: Why is Teen Challenge one of the most effective drug recovery programs in America for individuals of all ages?

A: Teen Challenge endeavors to help people become mentally sound, emotionally balanced, socially adjusted, physically well, and spiritually alive.

Mike's Story

I grew up in a Christian home being taught right from wrong and going to church. At the age of 16 I started using alcohol, smoking pot, LSD and snorting cocaine. This lasted for nine years, and at the age of 25, I gave my life to the Lord and walked with him for eight years.

I went through a divorce and turned to drinking instead of Jesus. This was the beginning of a long 5 years, where I went from job to job trying to keep people from knowing I was drinking again. Before I knew it, I was smoking pot again, then finally smoking crack cocaine. This only led me to a lonely dead end road. I was gone two or three days at a time with no one knowing if I was dead or alive. God spared my life through these years and kept me from the enemy in many ways. I finally got to the point of stealing, lying, pawning things and could not hold a job. Before coming to Teen Challenge, I was having very depressing thoughts of death.

Since coming to Teen Challenge, God has restored to me a sound mind. He has also restored a relationship with Him that I wasn't sure He would do because of how much wrong I had done. I had been called to preach at an earlier age. The enemy had destroyed the vision God had given me, but now that has been restored also. God has been gracious to me in my life, and I am looking forward now instead of seeing all my past failure. It has taken some time but Teen Challenge has helped me with some of the areas of my life where I needed help. God mainly has made me strong where I was weak, given me life where I was dead and health where I was sick.

Mike
Class of 2004