- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Friends & Family
Submitted by: Susanne Johnson
‘Rocket’ is the nickname on the back of his shirt. He belongs to a group of people that like to donate to different causes and run at charity and awareness events.
This event is all about all about helping educate the community about recovery from addiction and mental health problems. Coincidentally, Cedric is also personally affected by these illnesses because his brother struggles with them. He lives in Memphis, Tennessee, and came to the Heroes in Recovery 6K run to help break the stigma.
Cedric finished in his age group with a first place award, fitting his nickname. But the real winner for him at this day is his brother who has about a year of sobriety and going strong. Many times, he tried to talk to his brother and encourage him to give up substances and reach out for help. His brother was struggling hard with drugs and it took him a while to accept the help that was offered. “Addiction is everywhere,” said Cedric,”so many people are affected. Thank God my brother has made it so far. Everybody has someone in the extended family affected by these issues. You might not know it, but it’s there.”
He would like to encourage people to get help. “If you have come to a point where you can’t control it anymore, it’s time to reach out,” Cedric states. “Listen to your friends and your family. You might not see the problem yourself, but they see it in you. You don’t see it, but everybody on the outside sees it. Listen.”
A lot of friends that Cedric grew up with have the same difficulties with drugs as his brother did. He sees the addiction everywhere around him and would love for everyone to get help to fight this disease and get into recovery. He will continue to raise awareness for this cause and will always welcome all those who need someone to talk to and don’t know where to go.