BEAUMONT, Texas — September is Addiction Awareness Month and Southeast Texas has the highest rate of overdose deaths in the state.
This sobering statistic comes from a study done by the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Council of Deep East Texas.
Beaumont has a center that is dedicated to helping people through the difficult recovery process.
The Dream Center of Southeast Texas has multiple programs and trained staff who have made it their mission to help Southeast Texans who are struggling with addiction.
"I was just trying to get high. Trying to make it you know?" said April Zoch, who is a client of the Dream Center and six months sober.
Drug addiction overtook Zoch's childhood.
"I've been an addict since I was 12-years-old. I messed with the wrong people. And I started shooting up when I was 17," Zoch shared with 12News.
She says drugs led her to make the wrong decisions.
"I mean I used to be a liar, I used to sneak out," Zoch said. "Even being a felon, it didn't really spark, like 'hey get out of it'."
While addicted to heroin, Zoch says she came close dying.
"I've never overdosed but by the grace of God. But I'm sure I've came close," she said.
After years of relapsing she chose to get sober and went to the Dream Center of Southeast Texas.
"I came here, I was all strung out. You know I weighed like 100 pounds. So it was hard, it was hard to adjust," Zoch shared.
She was part of a year-long residential recovery program for adults. Clients are responsible for certain chores around the center, like taking care of animals or cooking in the kitchen.
"I'm going on six months. And this is the longest I've been sober," said Zoch.
Zoch credits the program with saving her life.
"And I've been praying that somebody will see, you know, my testimony, and just see how well I'm doing sober, and happy sober. And that it'll touch somebody," she said.
The Dream Center Southeast Texas is hosting a Recovery Resource Fair on Saturday, September 7 to provide resources for the entire community.
The resource fair will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.