Millie Jones will be the first one to tell you that she never thought she’d end up sitting in a jail cell without enough money for bail. She grew up in a stable home, but even though her family relationships were solid, she struggled to keep meaningful relationships with her friends. “I came from…
Michael was always small for his age which made him an easy target for bullies on the school playground. He also struggled with a speech impediment as a boy. “I never really acknowledged it but I realized recently that for my entire life, I’ve carried this worry and fear around, and I think it…
Meet Timmy Foxx. Recovery Engagement Specialist. Silver Chipper #984. Addict, alcoholic, unicorn, and member of the recovery and LGBTQ communities. Timmy was introduced to drugs and alcohol at an early age growing up around substance abuse in rural North Carolina. Unfortunately, he experienced firsthand the destruction of alcoholism to a family unit. His parents…
When I arrived at Healing Transitions on March 30, 2006 I was broken, desperate, and lost. I started using at the age of 15. I felt a sense of ease and comfort every time I took a drink or used a drug. It helped me to escape and avoid reality while feeling I belonged with…
Before I came to Healing Transitions, my life was screwed up because of drugs and alcohol. My using caused me to go to prison for a little while. Then, even after I got out, I kept using. I just didn’t know how to stop. The night I went to Healing Transitions is one I’ll…
My name is A.J. and I am Silver Chipper #10 at Healing Transitions. I completed the program in 2007, and if it wasn’t for Healing Transitions, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I was in a very dark spot, and the program gave me a way to find healing and recovery. I am…
Before I came to Healing Transitions, I was living in a rooming house and was behind on the rent, facing eviction. The place was really a crack house because of all the drugs being used there. My last day using was January 23. I used that entire night and wound up going to Shepherd’s Table…
I’ve been exposed to drugs and alcohol my whole life. At age 12 I tried drinking for the first time while I was camping with some of my family. One of my relatives gave me and my cousin our first six-pack, which at that age, we thought we were being cool. Then in middle school…
Early years Growing up, I was a good kid who enjoyed playing soccer all the way through high school. But at age 16, I started smoking pot and hanging with the wrong crowd, which basically threw my sports career because I became more interested in skipping school and getting high. Then when I was 18,…
Early trauma Like a lot of stories I hear, I had a pretty traumatic childhood. My mom was 16 when she had me, and she and my dad got married because of the pregnancy. When I was 9 or 10 years old, they divorced, and my mom married a preacher who was also a child…