I grew up in a small town. The kind of place that, on paper, looks perfect. Google it and you’ll see: safe, quiet, “a good place to raise kids.” And I am grateful—I know it could have been worse. But I hate the comparison game. Just because someone has it worse doesn’t mean what you’ve lived through isn’t still bad. Bad is still bad.
And the truth is, what’s bad about my town isn’t the place—it’s the loss. Not just the ones we bury, but the ones we watch fade.
Because I’ve seen the brightest lights here. The most magnetic boys grow into men. The smartest, the most capable. And it’s heartbreaking to watch them shrink under the weight of addiction.
I don’t say that with judgment. I say it because I see how capable they are—how much they don’t see it for themselves. They think so lowly of who they are, and then they stack addiction on top of that, burying themselves deeper. But being an addict doesn’t make you beneath anyone. If anything, it’s proof of how hard you’ve been fighting just to feel okay.
Because that’s what addiction really is, isn’t it? Not weakness. Not failure. It’s survival. It’s the body and mind clawing for any way to hold on, even if it’s a way that hurts. It’s not about not caring. It’s about wanting to care so badly that you’ll reach for anything that promises relief, even for a moment.
And still, we talk about addicts like they’re less than human. Like they’re throwaways. We reduce them to mugshots, gossip, and statistics. But I’ve seen the truth. I’ve seen the resilience in their eyes. The humor that still slips out in the middle of the pain. The kindness they show, even when they can’t find kindness for themselves. That’s not weakness. That’s strength most people couldn’t imagine holding.
But I won’t lie to you. Addiction is cruel. It steals. It breaks families. It turns dreams into ashes. And no amount of love, no amount of light, can always pull someone out until they’re ready. That’s the hardest part—loving someone who’s lost in it, wanting to shake them awake, but knowing that healing can’t be forced.
Still, I can’t sit back and pretend like these people are any less worthy. I can’t stomach a world that writes them off. Because they are not their addiction. They are people—capable, brilliant, magnetic people—who are in a fight they didn’t ask for.
And maybe if we stopped treating them like criminals first and humans second, maybe if we stopped whispering about them like they’re shameful, they’d feel safe enough to rise again.
So if you’re reading this, and you’ve ever felt buried by addiction, hear me: you are not beneath anything. You are not hopeless. You are not broken beyond repair. You are not weak. You are here—and that in itself is proof of your strength.
Because survival, in all its messy, painful, heartbreaking forms, is still holy.
And for anyone reading this and still holding on, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to walk this path alone.
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Immediate Help & Hotlines — Expanded Regionally
Massachusetts
• Massachusetts Addiction Hotline: 866‑210‑1303 — free, state-wide support for addiction and mental health (americanaddictioncenters.org)
• Hope Is Here (MA Substance Use Helpline): 800‑327‑5050 or text HOPE — harm reduction, treatment services & support (helplinema.org)
• MA 988 Lifeline: 988 — for crisis help and emotional support (mass.gov)
New Jersey
• ReachNJ (NJ Helpline): 1‑844‑REACHNJ (1‑844‑732‑2465) — live assistance, referrals, and treatment access for NJ residents (nj.gov)
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Peer Support & Recovery Communities
• SMART Recovery — Evidence-based peer support, online & in-person (en.wikipedia.org)
• LifeRing Secular Recovery — Non-12-step community & online support (en.wikipedia.org)
• Sober Grid — App connecting you with others in recovery nearby (en.wikipedia.org)
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Instagram Accounts & Voices in Recovery
• @united_recovery — share stories, receive real recovery info (instagram.com)
• @sobermotivation — encouraging messages, podcasts, community support (instagram.com)
• @samhsagov — mental health & substance use resources (instagram.com)
• @dank_recovery — humor & healing, making the darkness feel seen (en.wikipedia.org)
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Sussex County, NJ — Local Support
• Sussex County Recovery Community Center — peer support, recovery coaching, counseling (centerforprevention.org)
• C.L.E.A.R. Helpline: 1‑844‑SC‑CLEAR — peer recovery, Narcan training, family support (clearprogram.org)
• A Way to Freedom Self‑Help Center — mutual support, peer recovery lines (sussex.nj.us)
• Market Street Mission (Sussex) — shelter, meals, men’s addiction recovery programs, 274 Spring St, Newton (marketstreet.org)
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Morris County, NJ — Local Support
• Hope One Mobile Recovery Van — addiction and mental health outreach (morriscountynj.gov)
• Morris County Aftercare Center — detox, methadone maintenance, recovery treatment (mcaftercare.org)
• Addiction Treatment & Support — detox, IOP, AA/NA meetings at local churches and mission centers (St. Joseph’s in Mendham, First Presbyterian in Whippany) (rollinghillsrecoverycenter.com)
• Market Street Mission (Morris) — outreach, support services for men in recovery (marketstreet.org)
