Joey grew up surrounded by addiction. Alcohol and drugs were woven into both sides of his family, and instability was a constant presence in his childhood. His mother struggled with depression after a divorce and drank to cope. His father was an unstable presence in his early life and set an example of substance use. By the time Joey was seven years old, alcohol was already part of his world—and by eight, it was part of his own story. He started drinking at eight, smoking marijuana by ten, and learned early that substances could numb the anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts he carried as a child.

In Joey’s family, no one talked about pain—they survived it quietly. As his mother became increasingly unavailable while working as a bartender, Joey eventually moved in with his father, who had stopped using. For a time, life felt more peaceful. High school passed without major disruption, and college followed—a period of heavy partying, but one he managed to get through.

After college, Joey didn’t see himself as someone with a problem. He wasn’t drinking every day. He had hobbies, a long-term girlfriend, and even managed six months of sobriety before the relationship ended. When it did, Joey returned to drinking. Not long after, he entered a new relationship, and in 2008, his daughter was born. Around the same time, he started his own pool company. At first, the business was successful—but financial stress quickly followed, and Joey’s drinking escalated. “I needed a drink as much as possible so I didn’t have to feel anything,” he recalls.

The consequences piled up—bounced checks, a DUI, and increasing chaos at home. By 2010, finances began to recover, but his personal life continued to unravel. When someone offered him cocaine, Joey accepted. Within two months, he was using all day, every day. By 2012, he had left his partner. Still, because his business appeared successful, Joey convinced himself he didn’t have a problem.

That illusion didn’t last. His substance use escalated to crack cocaine and heroin. His focus shifted entirely—from working and socializing to simply getting high. He asked his father to help run the business while he tried to clean up, but instead, his life continued to spiral. By 2015, Joey was living out of his car, staying intermittently with his father, drug dealers, or girlfriends—selling drugs, using drugs, and staying trapped in the cycle.

That same year, Joey completely abandoned his daughter.

On Christmas Eve, he found himself alone in a hotel room, using. On Christmas Day, he began using with the intention of killing himself. He never overdosed—but the pain didn’t stop. In 2016, Joey was arrested for gun-related charges connected to drug activity, and later for possession. He spent a week in jail. The moment he was released, he got high again.

Back at his father’s house, Joey reached a breaking point. He wanted to stop, but finally understood he couldn’t quit on his own or survive going cold turkey.

At Ashley, Joey learned what addiction truly was—and what it meant to be an alcoholic and an addict. He took it seriously. It felt like his last chance. He did everything that was asked of him, fully engaging in the process. The first weeks were brutal—physically ill, emotionally raw. It took two full weeks for him to accept one truth: he could never get high or sell drugs again.

That acceptance became surrender.

Joey began working part-time for his father and spent months feeling physically sick and deeply anxious. At one year sober, he slowly started taking responsibility for the business again—but the pressure brought panic attacks roaring back. When he shared honestly in his home group, someone asked him where he was in the steps. He realized he hadn’t worked them in three years. With a new sponsor, Joey faced the fear that had always driven him—the belief that everything depended on him.

For the first time, he trusted in a Higher Power and accepted that he didn’t have to control everything. Letting go of the business brought unexpected relief. Life no longer felt like a pressure cooker.

Today, Joey lives a balanced life rooted in recovery. He sponsors others, stays connected to meetings, and used to return to Ashley to share his story with patients walking the same path. Most importantly, he is fully present as a father—something he once believed was impossible.

Joey’s message is simple and hard-earned: Ask for help. Go to meetings. Recovery happens in connection. My thinking got me in trouble—but recovery taught me how to live.