My name is Dan, I have been in recovery since April 27th, 2010.

There is little unique about my life, addiction, or recovery. I was born into a loving family, raised in a Catholic household, went to excellent schools, played sports, active member in the Boy Scouts—yet, I am a heroin addict. I could not give you a specific reason how or why it started and how I ended up where I did, like I said nothing unique here.

I spent from age 14-21 in and out of drug related programs. I went to rehab in four different states, wilderness behavioral-modification, outpatient treatment, psychiatrist/psychologist and anything in-between. Although many of these places offered different treatment methods it almost always began with suboxone or methadone treatment. For seven years I was never able to string together enough time to see much of a difference in the quality of my life.

In 2010 my life hit an all time low, drugs and alcohol had left me hollow. A drug over dose left me with a decision to give recovery one more shot or continue on with the “life” I had been living. I decided that I could not go on living the way that I was, broken and desperate I went to treatment. No medical detox, no special holistic therapy, what there was was a group of people learning how to get sober and stay sober. I was not only introduced to a twelve-step program but also taught how to be a person of recovery in a recovery community.

Today I am a student at EMU College of Business, engaged to be married, I have a car to drive and a home to live in. More importantly, I have a quality of life more than I could have dreamt six years ago. I have peacefulness in my life that I attribute solely to living a life of recovery.