My family was always telling me that I should go get some help.

I decided to go into treatment back in 2005, beginning of 2005.

I was sober and clean almost 11 years

and I just couldn't handle it no more, you know, my life,

I couldn't hold a job.

I always had problems sleeping,

sometimes maybe two, three hours a night.

Very irritable, the whole bit.

Plus my family was always telling me

that I should go get some help.

And finally I went into the New England Veterans Center

on Court Street in Boston.

I spent 18 months there.

The best thing I ever did.

I wanted the help.

I couldn't take it no more.

I tried to take my life in 1994.

My daughter was two years old, I'm sorry,

three and a half years old.

A friend of mine saved me and I spent a month

in a psychiatric unit and I spent four months in a drug

and alcohol unit at the VA back in '87,

and I also spent another time in psychiatric.

I still refused to take medicines and stuff

and I wish I took then back then.

I would've save myself a lot of heartache.

I take them now.

I've been on medicine now for over six and a half years.

It put some weight on me but I'll tell you,

best thing ever happened in my life.