As a child my mother physically and sexually abused me until I was 8 years old when child protective services relocated me to live with my grandmother ( who was my angel). I lived with her until I was 13 when she passed away from an overdose. My mother passed away from an overdose shortly after that. Then I went to live with my father who was a drug addict since he was a teenager, living with him I was introduced to pills at the age of 14 and immediately became hooked. I also suffered physical and mental punishments from his as a result of his drug use. When I was 21 he passed away from an overdose and I became homeless and suicidal, I also switched to hardcore narcotics and overdosed 9 times, each time being narcan’d back to life. My family has deep ties to addiction and self harm, most of my family members who are still alive are entangled in the grip of addiction and unfortunately I cannot help them. I have lost too many friends and family to this disease and I can’t think of anything better to dedicate my life to but service to the addicts and future addicts who still and will suffer. When I was 24 I was diagnosed with EOE an auto immune disease which has made it impossible for me to eat any food at all going on one full year now. I live with chronic pain, I know what it’s like to be stigmatized against for my addiction, accused of drug seeking and not being believed when I speak out regarding my real and serious health problems. Most of my teeth are ruined, I have a hernia and hydrocele, I’ve been hit by cars, woke up in ditches, sold every belonging I’ve ever owned, robbed, manipulated and lied to innocent people I’m 25 now, one year clean from drugs and I am filled with shame, regret and fear. I have done many people harm and I have harmed my mind and body for the rest of my life. My only hope and desire in my life is to offer some guiding light for the younger generation, to inspire and inform them of the risks of a lifestyle of abusing drugs and the risks of experimentation. To give them some hope and support which is something I never had and I always wished for. I do not wish this pain I have endured on anyone and I want to use my personal experiences and knowledge to save even one persons life will make everything that I have endured worth something. I have met many counselors and therapists and fellow recovering addicts and the consensus I’ve got from them is that at the end of the day they don’t care. But I do care and I will always care until my last breath. Thank you. God bless.