Chris Has A Promising Future

When Chris was in active use, he couldn’t hold down a job or keep up with school. “It was difficult,” he admitted. He often found that he’d stay substance-free for a couple of months, but then he’d always experience a recurrence of use. Chris attributed this to living in a small town where “drugs were very common.”

For Chris, rock bottom involved seeing himself experience withdrawal. For a while, he shielded his parents from the worst parts of his use. The last time he had a recurrence, however, his parents saw him high for the first time, and they took him to the hospital. His dad recorded a video on his phone of Chris having seizures and screaming. “It was weird to see myself acting completely possessed,” he admitted. “Before that I could tell myself that it’s not that bad.” Thankfully, this was his wakeup call.

Getting Help

At the time that Chris experienced that last recurrence, he was in an outpatient program. “I called them as soon as I came home from the hospital,” he said. When talking with his counselor, he told her that he needed more help. She looked into different programs and options for him, and that’s how Chris learned about Caz Recovery. “Turning Point House seemed like the best idea,” he said.

Like many successful residents, Chris took the time to move through our continuum at his own pace. He started at Turning Point House, moved onto Cazenovia Manor, then Supportive Living, and he’s been with our Housing program for a year. Now that he’s in a much better place, Chris has worked on ensuring that his future remains promising.

Work & Recovery

Two years ago, Chris got a job at Tops. He works in the seafood department, and he really appreciates the friends he’s made while there. “Work has been really good with keeping me focused on accomplishing things and moving forward,” Chris explained.  He’s also just about to finish his bachelor’s degree in English this semester from the University at Buffalo. The combination of work and school is always a lot to handle, but Chris has been able to manage it well this time.

While accomplishing goals has helped Chris in his recovery, working out has been important, too. “The gym has been my number one coping mechanism,” he said. Becoming so focused on fitness has even given him an idea for his next goal: he wants his next degree to be in physical therapy. “I like the idea of being able to help people,” said Chris. “It seems like a career that I could see myself doing.” He’s now working with Natalie Beilein, our Vocational Rehabilitation Supervisor, to make that a reality.