- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Friends & Family
submitted by: Susanne Johnson
Phil lives in a county with a high addiction rate. He became aware of the growing need for people to work in the field and help others achieve sobriety. He is not affected by any addiction, but he is well aware of the persistent problems in his community and decided to do his part by getting involved. He has a wife and two young daughters, and he wants to see his girls grow up safely and well. “This is where I live,” he says. “I’m always looking to improve my life and also my community.” Phil believes that even if just one person is saved, it is worth all the efforts of the community. He works for a small laboratory company that is family oriented and gives him the opportunity to combine his community activities with his work schedule. The company he works for does drug testing which is an essential part of recovery and also helps in preventing addiction and addiction-related accidents.
He talks with his family about addiction. His children ask questions about what they see on TV and elsewhere, and Phil is of the opinion that it is important to be able to give them answers. Where Phil lives people do not see addiction as a “low life” problem since very wealthy families have been affected by it.
To somebody who reads this and is not in recovery yet, Phil says, “Your life matters! Every life matters! Anything you do affects other people. Do not think it only affects yourself.” He points out the domino or snowball effect that recovery can have. If one person gets into recovery by getting help, this person can then help others.
Phil states, “Everything you do has either a pro or a con. It either benefits your life, or it does not. Do not say, ‘It doesn’t matter,’ because it does matter.”