Independence from Drugs and Alcohol

Robert finds freedom at Rebound

He decided he had finally had enough.  Nearly 30 years of alcohol and drug addiction resulting in the last 3 years of his life spent living in the woods had finally became too much.  Known as the “local drunk,” Robert decided to end his life on the train tracks in North Charleston until a local police officer stopped him.  “I was belligerent – I threw my drug paraphernalia at him and told him, ‘you’ll never see me again because I’m going to kill myself.’”  Instead, the officer handcuffed him and took him to Mental Health where he spent the next12 days.  From there he was referred to the Mission.

Though Robert had been to other treatment centers in the past, Rebound was different.  “The other places I went only lasted 12 to 30 days.  They helped me clean out my body and get physically healthy again, but the longer stay at Rebound gave me time to realize I truly wanted to change my life.”  Thankfully, Robert decided that this time he did want to free himself from a life of drugs and alcohol.  The extra time at Rebound also put Robert back in touch with God.  “I used to blame Him for all my problems,” he says.  Now he sees God’s hand in all parts of his life and his recovery.

“I’m so grateful to the police officer that stopped me that night,” says Robert.  Now 53 years old, Robert has been sober for 17 months, the longest he has been clean since he started huffing glue at 12 years old.  He now lives in the Mission’s Halfway House and is looking for a job.  Though disabled as a result of a motorcycle accident, he remains optimistic and takes one day at a time with the help of other Rebound graduates.  He thinks of where he came from and knows that he doesn’t ever want to go back there again.  “I lived in the woods for all those years because I didn’t want to ask for help.  Now I know that I can.”