- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Friends & Family
Submitted by: Abby Foster
I’ve known Chris C. for over half of my life, and our relationship has come full circle. As teenagers, we ran in the same misfit circles causing trouble while engaging in underage drinking and substance use. But today, through the miracles of recovery and its many gifts, we are both people in long-term recovery who live life on the forefront of the recovery movement. Chris is very dear to me, and I am privileged to call him mentor and friend.
Before finding recovery, Chris’s substance use led him to homelessness, disconnection from family and loved ones, and life with no direction. “Deep down, I knew this was not how my life was supposed to turn out. Partying and the use of substances were supposed to be fun or rebellious acts while in college. But I found around age 22 that the people I partied the hardest with were suddenly starting to get their lives together, graduating from college and getting jobs. Because my partying turned into something really terrible and sad those weren’t options for me. I knew I couldn’t achieve what I wanted to be while using drugs and alcohol,” states Chris.
Chris began his efforts toward recovery in 2003 and has maintained abstinence from alcohol and other mind-altering substances since May of 2006. Even as a person in recovery, Chris was faced with many discriminatory policies. It was these experiences that helped motivate him to become a social worker and recovery advocate. He stated, “After marrying my wife and adding my name to our lease, we were kicked out of our apartment” due to criminal charges Chris incurred during his active addiction. One of his challenges included “not being able to continue my education and the inability to find even low-paying work because of my criminal issues and spotty work history.”
Chris had found recovery but was encountering obstacles making it near impossible to succeed. Learning how to use empowering language and relaying what, at first glance, appears to be negatives as positives in his life allowed him to empower himself and overcome these challenges. Now, Chris is a graduate with a bachelors degree in social work, initiated the startup of the Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC), and gained employment as a research assistant all within the very university which told him he would never be able to attend because of his past.
Recovery has allowed Chris the ability to continue his education, thrive, grow, work and improve himself, which in turn has allowed him to help others. “Now that I am in recovery, I am in a position to help others to achieve recovery. I no longer struggle with not drinking or using any longer. Not only can I help on a one to one basis but also I can help heal entire communities. I am proud of the company I keep– people who all work for community wellness– people in recovery and some who aren’t. We all strive for and want a better world for people who suffer from substance use disorders.”
The work that Chris can now do as a result of his recovery is one of the most satisfying parts of his life. “I’ve made my passion my work, and now my work has become my life. I will never go a day without running into a person in recovery. We talk not only about our struggles but the movement as well.” Chris has discovered that the things he once described as weaknesses or negatives in his life are the very things that make him uniquely qualified to be of service and help those who are seeking recovery.