Tilden J.

I can honestly tell you, I’m making less money now than I ever have, and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I grew up in a comfortable home where drugs just weren’t a part of our environment. My siblings are all college-educated. I went into the Army Reserves, then worked in retail, making six figures. But sometimes, prosperity can be a gateway to trouble. Addiction doesn’t care if you have resources. As a matter of fact, resources can make it easier to mess up. I had a lot of resources to exhaust before I could really hit bottom. When I finally hit bottom, I realized that a closed mind can’t be fed anything. I opened my mind and I became humble, and I let TEEM, the Veterans Administration, and other programs teach me. These days, I learn something every single day. I get a lot of satisfaction by helping people and telling them to have a blessed day. I’ve recently earned my associate degree and I’m heading back for my bachelor’s. I can’t get back the 15 years I spent in my addiction, but I can have every day starting now. Each day sets me up for tomorrow.