Recovering addicts share journeys, holiday experiences

SALISBURY, Md. – Alcohol and drug recovery is a road that has its twists and turns and leads to milestones like birthday and holiday celebrations.

For Kevin Fisher, all of the holidays he spent before his 68 days of being sober were filled with isolation.

“The holidays were lonely. It was just more like using drugs, going home, getting up every day, being miserable, wasting money, thinking about a lot of the loss,” Fisher said.

Statistics show that overdose rates tend to spike during the holidays. Some visitors at HOPE Inc. in Salisbury shared the other side, calling this a time for reflection and gratitude.

Two brothers, Wilbur and Brian Lewis have each other during this time of year. They’re celebrating their first Thanksgiving together, sober, and they said they’re in it together for accountability.

“It feels better living a clean life. I basically struggled all my life, but I recommend just straighten up and fly right and get away from all the heroin, the opioids, all that stuff that’s killing people. I got out of it, thank goodness, just in time,” Brian said.

“Seeing things from the other side makes me grateful that I have this opportunity to get myself straight,” Wilbur added.

HOPE Inc’s recovery house, Homes 4 Hope, is able to provide accountability for those who don’t have a support system in place. They said it’s that structure that can make a difference in a sobriety journey.

The journey can be lonely, but Michael Cannon said finding that support system and taking things day by day can make all the difference.

“To me, it’s a miracle; being clean, for real, is a miracle,” Cannon said.