Trenton, ME
Recovery Advocate

I am in long-term recovery, meaning that I haven’t used opiates, alcohol, and other drugs for more than 20 years. I am very committed to recovery, as it has given my family back the hope and trust in me they used to have. I speak out now because I believe that long-term recovery is possible for all, and I would like to help make that possible.

Like many, I had a tough time before I found recovery. I had isolated myself from my family and anyone who wanted me to be healthy. I knew what it was like to sleep behind the same dumpster I was eating from and to smoke cigarette butts that I would pick up off the ground. I did not think there was any hope. I was numb to the world around me and believed I was living the only life I was capable of.

Six months after moving to Maine to pursue a woman I was in love with, I finally found recovery on Thanksgiving Day 1988, with the help of some very supportive people already in recovery. I started attending support group meetings and learned that I had to change my behaviors to change my attitudes and thinking processes. I discovered that by surrounding myself with others who had long-term recovery, the recovery road was possible for me.

Today, long-term recovery has taught me to hold my head high and deal with life as it comes. I’m respected by my family and others; I’m able to maintain a good job, make and keep friendships, and have relationships with those close to me. Two and a half years into my recovery, I married the woman I loved. We’ve been in a devoted, fulfilling relationship for more than 17 years.
I had no material possessions when I first found recovery, and today I have a wonderful house and a life that’s second to none.

Today, anything is possible, and my dream is that this way of life is available for all those who’ve suffered like I have.