Early Addiction and Hitting Rock Bottom
Hi! My name is AJ, and this is my recovery story.
I started using at a young age, and it didn’t take long for things to spiral. I dropped out of high school, couldn’t hold a job, and found myself caught in a cycle of getting high, selling drugs, and doing whatever I could just to get by. That cycle led me to places I never thought I’d end up—homeless, in and out of jail, and completely lost. My life felt hopeless. At one point, even my own mother told me I wasn’t welcome back home.
I couldn’t stop. No matter how many times I tried, I kept going back - lying, manipulating, and hurting everyone around me, including myself. I was exhausted, but I didn’t know how to live any other way.
The Turning Point
After 22 years of living like that, everything finally caught up with me. On April 10, 2019, I made a decision that changed my life—I turned my will and my life over to God, because I knew I couldn’t keep doing it on my own. That was the moment everything began to shift.
Committing to Recovery
I got into a recovery program, started going to church, and committed to doing the work. It wasn’t easy, but for the first time, I was willing. Slowly, things began to change.
Building a Career in Recovery
Within my first year in recovery, I found a job in treatment as a Behavioral Health Technician. Just a few months later, I was promoted to supervisor. Around two years clean, I became a case manager. By three years, I earned my CADAC II certification and stepped into a counselor role - something I never could have imagined during my addiction.
Recovery didn’t just give me a career—it gave me a future. At age 40, I graduated from Purdue Global with a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus on addictions, and I’m currently continuing my education in a master’s program. My goal is to keep growing, gaining knowledge and experience so I can help others who feel like I once did—the people who have been counted out, overlooked, and forgotten.
A New Life and Purpose
But the biggest transformation hasn’t just been professional - it’s been personal. In my addiction, I was completely alone. Today, I have a beautiful wife, two incredible stepdaughters, and a baby boy on the way. I have a life filled with love, purpose, and connection - things I never thought were possible for someone like me.
Reflection
Recovery gave me everything addiction promised but never delivered.
If I can do it, anyone can.
#WeDoRecover