“When is the bus stopping? I need a cigarette.” You’d expect to hear that from people who have an addiction to cigarettes.
They don’t sound like life-saving words, but they were.
When Terrance left Atlanta to return to Pennsylvania, he had no plans. His girlfriend died. Her children didn’t want him around. He was returning to Pennsylvania hoping his family would be hospitable to him. It was a long shot considering he had abandoned them and chose to be with her.
Addiction has been part of Terrence’s life since his teenage years. It didn’t prevent him from being a provider for his family. He had a career as a tractor-trailer driver. He drove long-haul routes from New York to Miami to Chicago and Florida. “On these long stretches, I would drink and drive. I thought it made me a better driver–I was wrong,” noted Terrance. He never recognized it as an addiction or a problem.
When he flipped the tractor-trailer, he admits he was under the influence but no one on site detected it. A few months later, he flipped the second big rig and suffered a severe injury to his arm. Police suspected he was drinking and after he was discharged from the hospital, he was locked up for a DUI. Scared from the two accidents, he promised himself and his boss that he would never do it again. It was a promise he couldn’t keep.
In 2017, Terrence’s wife asked him to leave. Terrance moved around and eventually met the woman from Atlanta. “I up and left and didn’t tell nobody,” said Terrance In addition to his wife, he walked away from his three children to live with a woman who was also an alcoholic and she had a gambling problem. Their life together was about feeding their addictions.
He went deeper into his addiction and lost everything.
He boarded a bus in Atlanta heading to Philadelphia It was a long journey with hours between stops. As a smoker, Terrance got irritated when the bus didn’t stop for cigarette breaks. Just a few seats away was a doctor who told Terrence that smoking wasn’t good for his health. He didn’t need a lecture, he needed a cigarette.
Dr. Vinutha Netaji had a fear of flying. The long bus ride from Atlanta to Philadelphia was the perfect opportunity for her to help change the lives of others. What started as a conversation about smoking, became a conversation about addiction. Terrance shared his life-long struggle with addiction and Dr. Netaji provided hope and encouragement with newly available treatment options.
He contacted Dr. Netaji and was determined to stop drinking and turn his life around. “They got me into Opportunity House and I stayed sober for a week,” said Terrance. Then he got a shot of Vivitrol to help with his addiction. “I didn’t think it would work. Someone tempted me and I took a drink. I got sick as a dog–and never drank again,” added Terrance.
“If it had not been for Opportunity House, I would be dead,” said Terrance. Being able to talk to the shelter manager, Frank, case managers, and staff provide the support he needs to stay sober.
Becoming sober forced Terrence to face the reality of his fractured relationship. “No one could convince me that alcohol was bad. My whole family drank so it was part of who we are,’” said Terrance.
Today, Terrance is working on rebuilding relationships with his children. “Some are easier than others,” he notes. Rebuilding trust is difficult and seeing one of his children struggling with addiction is painful. “I’m trying to help him as best I can,” added Terrance