How did you get started with drugs and alcohol?
I was sexually assaulted when I was younger and that’s how I was introduced to it – during that experience when I was around 14 years old. It was a messy situation from the beginning. It was a repeat occurrence until I was about 19 years old. By the time I started talking about it I was already addicted. This person was giving me drugs.
How did you end up at The 24?
I had some period of sobriety, but this last year and half, I started some really rough therapy and relapsed during the therapy around the sexual trauma. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to get sober again, but I finally decided it was either kill myself or get sober and go back to therapy and so, I needed a safe place to start over. I went to Homeward Bound and they told me about The 24. There is something really important about doing this on your own. You don’t want a handout necessarily. So someone told me about the 24 and how you really are living on your own and out to do it for yourself and they are here to help if you need it. It just sounded like a really interesting spot and they told me it was safe. Being a gay man I was concerned about how safe is safe for someone like me. I was definitely skeptical. I had heard about the old building, but I came and the journey started.
Finish this sentence: If it wasn’t for The 24, I would be…
Dead. I was going to kill myself.
What is your drug of choice?
Methamphetamine
What is your greatest blessing?
My greatest blessing is that I still have people that love me and I know they love me.