After I was brought back from Virginia to New Jersey, the miracle I’d been waiting for finally happened: I was accepted into Drug Court. But it wasn’t a “get out of jail free” card. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
To stay free, I had to prove I wanted it every single hour of every single day. I landed a job at the Target Distribution Center, working the night shift from 6:00 PM to 4:00 AM. I was pulling 60 hours a week, coming home exhausted just to turn around and do it all again.
My life became a schedule of survival and discipline:
- Full-time manual labor on the night shift.
- Intensive Outpatient (IOP) three days a week.
- Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings 2-3 nights a week.
- Random drug tests twice a week.
- Weekly court appearances and nightly curfew check-ins.
I was tired, my body ached, and I had no “free time.” But for the first time in 30 years, I was proud of the man I saw in the mirror. I wasn’t chasing a bag or running from a siren; I was chasing a future. I started helping other addicts get into rehabs and sober living homes because I knew that if I could find a way out of that ditch on Route 80, they could too.
On August 5th, 2025, I didn’t just graduate from a program. I graduated from my old life.
Recovery isn’t a destination; it’s a daily grind. What is one habit or routine that keeps you on the right path when things get tough? 👇