Daniel was raised in a loving, two-parent home and according to him, he had “everything anyone could ever want or desire.”
When Daniel, 38, left home for North Carolina A&T State University, he was introduced to alcohol, marijuana and eventually, cocaine. What started out as recreational use amongst friends and colleagues slowly turned into an alcohol and drug addiction.
“The next 15 years were filled with many, many dark days of using,” he shared. “Hustling. Stealing. Supporting my habit with numerous arrests, jail stays and time with the Department of Corrections.”
Daniel would spend the next decade in and out of prisons and treatment programs, but nothing worked for him.
“The end of my road was in 2007. I had broken down. I had no friends. I had no job. I had become homeless and hopeless,” he said. “All I had left were the drugs. They took me to places I never, ever thought I would go and made me do things I never, ever thought I would do.”
The last week of May that year, he called his younger sister who lived near him in Greensboro. He asked her to drive him to this place he’d heard of while he was in county jail called Healing Transitions.
“I started the program on June 3, 2007, and I was completely broken, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This was the result of 20 years of alcohol and drug use,” he recalled. “Somehow, I got through that first week, and after that, I never looked back. Healing Transitions saved my life. The program gave me time to learn about the disease of addiction and the solutions to living a sober life.”
Daniel went on to complete his bachelor’s degree and began working at Healing Transitions in a variety of roles. Today, he is employed at the organization’s thrift store, Recovered Treasures.
“I love working at Recovered Treasures, but I’m also grateful for the opportunities to share my life experience with individuals who are facing addiction or homelessness near our store,” shared Daniel. “There have been a few occasions where I’ve taken the van to pick up some donation items and met an individual who needed to go to our detox program. We helped to get them off the street and into detox that day.”
Today, Daniel credits a number of factors with his 16-year recovery, including the long-term recovery program at Healing Transitions, a meaningful relationship with his sponsor, and a strong network of individuals in recovery who encourage each other. He’s been employed at Healing Transitions for 15 years and says he’s “truly grateful” for his life today.
“I love myself today. I’m happy with my life. I’ve become a member of the ‘no matter what club,” he said. “No matter what happens in my life, good or bad, I’ll never use drugs or alcohol again.”