Ed's Story

Ed continued to live with his parents after dropping out of school. He spent most of his time at home watching TV. He didn't want to talk to anybody and kept himself isolated. Ed lived in a home where drug and alcohol abuse was a way of life when he was growing up, so it isn't surprising that he started using when he was 11 years old.

Ed tells us that he was stoned from the age of 11 to 21. He had occasional outbursts and his parents looked for help for him. Eventually he got into some trouble with the law for his violent outbursts which lead to fights during his younger years.

At the age of 21 he could see no end in sight and he attempted suicide. He was hospitalized at that time and was in and out of hospitals for years after his suicide attempt. He was assigned an ICM (Intensive Case Manager) who got him into Gadenzia House. The Gadenzia House is a long term structured care facility for people who have a dual-diagnosis. It was while he was there that he first heard of The Friends Connection.

Ed refers to that time in Gadenzia House, his first period of sobriety, as his 'honest part' - the first time he admitted to his addiction.

After ten months in the house he used the excuse that the staff was bothering him and he walked out and got drunk. His mother hunted him down and fought to get him back into a program at a crisis center.

He was hooked up with a first Friends Connection peer counselor while at Gadenzia and found himself getting out and experiencing 'clean and sober' activities. Ed began feeling better about himself for the first time in his life.

Ed enjoyed the activities that he participated in such as going to the movies with his peer counselor, bowling, shopping, picnics and learning to use SEPTA to travel into center city and visit the Liberty Bell. It was at this time that he attended his first AA meeting.

Today he is sober, living with his brother and says he has learned to socialize without drinking or drugs. Before The Friends Connection he couldn't socialize unless he was drunk. Ed has found that socializing helps him and he can now reach out to others.

Ed says 'Try The Friends Connection. You won't know if it can help until you try. All meaning in my life was gone and, through The Friends Connection, I learned how to find meaning in life in a stable way.'