Joe
My name is Joe L. I am a 30-year-old male living in the Annapolis area. I am currently coming up on 7 months of sobriety. My struggle with addiction began when I was about 14. Alcohol and marijuana came into my life and I loved it. Shortly later, to fit in with some of the upper classman on my ice hockey team, I first tried cocaine. This drug completely altered my feeling and perspectives. No longer were school or sports a priority, partying became number one. I barely made it through high school with a passing grade. All I cared about was the lifestyle I was living, and I was willing to try anything that came my way. My opinion of myself and confidence continued going down. Around the age of 18 I was first introduced to opiates. I didn’t think they were that bad because they were in pill form and from a doctor. I fell in love. Not too long later I tried heroin for the first time. Little did I know this would completely rock my world for the worst.
The next decade of my life would be spent breaking people’s hearts, lying, stealing and cheating death. I was knocking on death’s door, but something bigger than me had other plans. It was December of 2019. After accumulating some clean time, I decided to pick up again. On Christmas Day my mother got a phone call that I was in the hospital again. That didn’t stop me. The next couple of months would be hell. I lost my job and my place to live. By February of 2020 I had no health insurance or any idea on how to stop the terrible cycle I was trapped in. Crisis intervention picked me up and brought me to a safe place. They got me into a rehab where I spent the next month. Not knowing where to go or what to do next or how I could afford to continue treatment felt like a huge obstacle. An opportunity to go into sober living presented itself, but I didn’t know how I was going to afford to move in after losing my job and burning through my last dime and broken relationships.
Thankfully a friend knew of a program that could provide me with a scholarship. All For Recovery provided the chance to apply for a short term housing grant. They helped get me into the house and I received funding to pay for two weeks of rent. I don’t know where I would be without that opportunity. It allowed enough breathing room to get into the house and get a job. I am truly fortunate for how All for Recovery helped me. I will continue every day to fight for my life and hopefully one day be able to return to someone else what they did for me.