On June 22, 2017 I got kicked out of my parents house and I started to walk. That walk changed everything for me. Since 2013, my life was becoming more and more an expression of my existing/raging alcoholism/drug addiction. I managed to keep my disease under wraps until at some point, the tides turned, and my disease consumed me. Lots of tears. Lots of fighting. Lots of family heartbreak. Lying, stealing, manipulating – splitting people against each other. The only thing that mattered to me was getting high or drunk.

I left my mom and dad’s house that morning and I began to walk. I was walking and searching for another reason, another bullshit justification to continue to live the destructive life I was living. For the past 7 years, whenever a moment like this surfaced, my brain always subconsciously manufactured some sort of nonsensical rationalization to continue down this destructive path. This time, this day, on June 22, 2017, I had nothing left. I simply couldn’t produce another scenario in my brain to convince myself that it was okay to continue to use drugs and drink alcohol. I was shattered. I was a shell of a human being, a shadow. I walked through the New Jersey heat and I sobbed. 13 miles later I called my dad from a gas station land-line and told him I needed to go to treatment. I told him that I was done. That was something my father had heard a million times before. Only this time, I was serious.

I met David and Lucas in Asheville, North Carolina back in 2015. I was in a wilderness treatment center, hiking the trails of the Pisgah National Forest two weeks at a time for 3 months. After two weeks in the woods, we’d go back to base camp, wash our clothes, and go back out for two more weeks. This was a pivotal moment in my life. I didn’t stay sober after this treatment stint, but it was a catalytic moment for my recovery. I started to listen to people more. I started to take suggestions more. My body began producing a little bit of willingness to do some things other than what Joey wanted to do. For a little while, at least. I lived in a sober living house after being in the woods for 3 months, but I felt like I was falling behind in life. I wonder if any of you have ever felt that way? Like you’re falling behind in life? I left that sober living early to go back to school. Bad decision. I was kicked out of that college and arrested for a DUI hit and run within a year. Despite all that, I kept in contact with David and Lucas. They were trying to start a sober living program of their own, and they would keep me posted on their progress. I was happy for them, not knowing I was about to become their first client.

As my parents walked me to the doors of my fourth residential treatment center, I told my mom to call Lucas. Lucas and David ended up opening Greenville Transitions in Greenville, SC and I knew that’s where I wanted to be. As the doors closed behind me, I was overcome with a willingness to change. I was now ready to do whatever it took to stay sober. In my mind, atleast. I was in so much pain that I figured any other life must be better than the one I was living using drugs and drinking, right? I had no friends, I had nothing to my name, my license was suspended for a year, I got kicked out of college, I destroyed every meaningful relationship in my life – I had suffered sufficiently. During the 30 days I was in that treatment center, I saw people go out and come back in. I saw one man leave and come back 4 different times. Getting high each time he left. The willingness I experienced upon arrival wasn’t fleeting. I was ready. I did what I needed to do to get through those 30 days, and after, I followed through on what I told my mom. I went to Greenville, SC.

I was Greenville Transitions’ very first client. I was a 25 year old man-child and I had no idea how to live life, let alone live life sober. I was completely overcome by my thoughts and emotions. I used drugs and drank essentially because I liked the effects produced, and because I didn’t want to deal with life. So naturally, I was a pretty angry guy for a little while when I could no longer do the only thing I knew how to do in order to navigate life. The structure of GT gave me a safe place to learn how to live life again. It gave me accountability. Most importantly, I had real life examples in front of me every step of the way. David, Lucas, Chris – these guys showed me that I could get sober young, that I could have fun doing it, that I could help others. If I didn’t have those examples, I wouldn’t be here typing this today. After 4-6 months, I stopped waking up angry every day. Through therapy, a healthy diet, attending community recovery meetings, running/exercising, working a recovery program, volunteering, coaching the sport I love, I started to feel a shift ripple through me. This shift was profound, and it came in the form of a thought… “If you, Joey, amount to nothing else in life.. If you never work another job, if you’re homeless, if you never get your license back, if you never get back into college, if every girl you ever ask out on a date says no… you still have purpose as a recovering alcoholic and you can always help other alcoholics and drug addicts.. and that purpose will never be taken from you.” It finally all made sense to me.

A lot has happened in my life since I got sober 4 and a half years ago. I’ve rekindled my relationship with everyone in my family. I’ve earned back their trust over time. What a beautiful thing. After a year, and six trips to the SC DMV, I got my license back. I’ve not been pulled over or ticketed since (knock on wood). I’ve worked in the treatment field for the past three years, for three wonderful programs, and have learned so much along the way. I’ve made real friends who I can rely on. People who will pick up the phone when I call them. People who call me randomly just to see how I’m doing. I started coaching high school lacrosse at Christ Church Episcopal School here in Greenville. I met a forever friend named Joe and we crush the Greenville lacrosse scene together. Joe and his wife Sarah set me up on a blind date with this beautiful young woman named Ashely. Ashley and I got married on April 3, 2020. We uprooted and moved to Raleigh, where I worked for Green Hill Recovery and coached lacrosse at Cardinal Gibbons High School. At Cardinal Gibbons we went 17-0 and won the North Carolina state championship! I started college classes again to finish my undergraduate degree. The thing is, I’ve managed to keep my personal recovery at the center of my life. It comes first, always, and because of that my life has never been better.

In August, David called me and offered me a job to come back and work for Greenville Transitions. In my heart, I knew that there was no other place I would rather be. I’d be lying if I told you that his job offer didn’t make me a little emotional. I’ve really come full circle. I feel It is an honor and a privilege to be the admissions and outreach specialist here at GT. I take this job very seriously. I’m a living, breathing testament to this program. The newest chapter of my life and career are unfolding as my wife and I settle back into Greenville permanently. I could not be more excited to be back, and I will serve in this role as best as I possibly can!