When I first arrived from Northern Regional Jail, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But through the grace of God, I was delivered here for a life-changing experience I wouldn’t have considered on my own.
My struggle with addiction is much like others. If you asked if I pictured this detour just a few years ago, I would have laughed. I was raised Catholic in a good, values-based home with involved, hard-working parents. I excelled in school and earned college degrees, and I left home 27 years ago to start an independent life, being fortunate to work as an executive in Chicago, a reporter and anchor on TV, and entrepreneur in Dever. I had an incredible social life, plenty of freedom, and an accomplished record. I traveled the world and met thousands of people.
Yet there was something missing. I didn’t have a drop of alcohol until college and never once used drugs. As my life became increasingly stressful, I turned to alcohol to numb the pain and fill a void. Whereas I could drink “like a gentleman,” I no longer could, and I systematically destroyed what I worked hard to accomplish. The bottom arrived when I moved back in with my parents at 44 and suffered an injury and remained unemployed and lonely.
Now, however, I’ve seen changes in myself that have surprised me. My way of thinking has changed, and my previous outlook on life has been replaced with a new purpose, a spirited, Christ-like attitude, greater awareness, and increased peace and comfort. I count my blessing daily, and instead of thinking about what I don’t have. I focus on that for which I should be grateful. Family Care Ministries (The Freedom Home) has given me the redemption to transform my life.