Stephen's Story: My recovery journey came full circle

Hello, My name is Stephen Colbert II. Yes, I have the same name as the guy on T.V. And no, I am not related! Haha.

2018 started out as one of the most difficult times of my life. After over a decade of painful drug use and many failed attempts to get my life back on track my best friend “Ritchie” died from a fentanyl overdose. We both had just finished a long term inpatient treatment program here in Philadelphia. The program was called Journey of Hope. It is a very special program designed specifically for individuals who were chronically homeless and who have had a long history of failed attempts at treatment and recovery.

Upon successful completion of this program each participant was rewarded with a permanent housing solution, usually a voucher for a 1-bedroom apartment in Philadelphia. I was so excited when I completed the program and received my apartment! I was drug free for about 9 months, had friends, a girlfriend, and I had just gotten my 1st job in over a decade! My best friend Rich had just completed the program, signed his lease, moved into his apartment and was waiting on his furniture to be delivered any day! Unfortunately before that furniture would arrive my best friend would be found dead alone in his apartment by a social worker who was checking up on him. What hurt me most was it was not me that found him. It wasn’t his girlfriend that found him, or another friend who found him. It was a care team member who was concerned that he had missed a recent appointment.

Losing everything

What came next was a year of the most chaotic and harmful drug use I’ve ever experienced. My girlfriend… Gone. My job… Gone. My best friend… Dead. I lost everything I worked so hard for. I had no plans for my future at all and honestly I didn’t even care whether I survived or not. One night after some overindulgence I woke up on the floor with no idea how I got there. I was alone, did not have Narcan present, and didn’t even have the presence of mind to know how long I had been lying there overdosed. It was at that very moment I understood what my best friend had gone through. Only by sheer luck did I not succumb to my overdose.

What separated me from Rich? Why did I survive and he did not? I wrestle with these questions still to this day. One thing I was certain of was that I owed it to my late friend to do better! I made a decision that day to do just that, do a little better. Slowly but surely I quit my drug use. I didn’t stop all at once! I made progress each and every day. I started to make friends again. I started dating again, I started working again!

Finding my passion

6 years ago I truly found my passion. I decided to get my Certified Recovery Specialist Certification and get into the field of addiction recovery. I started helping other people who were struggling to quit drugs entirely.

My recovery journey came full circle when I took a job working for the same long term inpatient treatment program that I had success in many years earlier. Through that job I was able to help countless individuals break the cycle of addiction and homelessness. I eventually became a supervisor over a small team of Certified Recovery Specialists and helped raise the next generation of peer support for Journey of Hope.

Life today

In the last 2 years my life development has hit peaks I’ve never imagined! I found my second passion, traveling! I have traveled extensively throughout southeast Asia. I got engaged to the most amazing woman I’ve ever been lucky enough to have met. I’ve made many new friends who are all doing amazing things in their own right. I have taken a new position here at You Are Accountable. I remember how precious life is.

As long as we are alive we have the possibility to grow and better ourselves each and every day. I have no idea what the future holds for me. All I know is that it will be bright, full of love, growth, and most importantly of all, full of service to others.