Tavon hit rock bottom, and then its basement - losing love, time with his daughters, and nearly himself. But he entered Avenues, and what did he find? Real love, brotherhood and strength to rebuild.
Watch his moving story here.
Hi, my name is Tavon, and this is my recovery story.
I think a lot of my addiction journey started with a relationship that I had lost, and it was due to my addiction. I just really was so upset with myself because I knew I had had something so beautiful, and I couldn't put the drugs down long enough to realize that. I had been beaten, I had been defeated. It was, there was, they say rock bottom is the worst. I think rock bottom has a basement, and I've been there.
I have four daughters. I lost a lot of time with them. In the beginning of each of their lives, I thought that being a father was just a financial thing. And now I really, I really understand that women are taught how to be treated from their fathers, and if I'm not there for them, they'll feel like that's okay. So now I know that it isn't just a financial thing. I need to be there emotionally and physically and be there to answer the questions that they have about the world.
Recovery for me just means happiness. It means being able to see the future, and in here I met a good group of guys that we really, I truly truly believe that our bond will be forever. And I really believe that if you only find one friend in life, that you you've made it. You've made it if you could just find one good friend, and I have a whole handful of them now.
If you fight just half as hard as you did outside doing the things we shouldn't have been doing, if you can give just a quarter of that effort to fixing your life - then things will really change. I know that life falls into pieces and we're all trying to put those pieces back together. But sometimes you have to just let the pieces be pieces. They're still gonna be there, broken, when you leave here.
Avenues changed my life. People are really willing to help you. They want the best for you, even when you don't want the best for yourself. Whatever your path is, you'll find it here. My name is Tavon, and I found my way home, and you can find your way home too.