Douglas

Hello. I’m Douglas. The Boston Rescue Mission is a very important place in a community of recovery. There are lots of tools to help keep me on track. And man have I been off track!

My mother raised me after my father left when I was 2 or 3. At 11 or so, I started smoking pot, and then alcohol came into play. I was smart enough that I could keep grades up even when skipping school to sell drugs. I barely passed middle school, but I missed too much high school, dropped out, and sold marijuana on the corner. That’s really where my sales career began. At 16 I tried powered cocaine and loved it. My marijuana money earned during the day went right to buying cocaine at night.

After the street corner closed down, I started selling at the bar room at night. From 22-31 years old, I never held a job longer than 3-4 months. Then my little brother asked me how I earned all my money. Embarrassed, I got a job selling cars the next weekend. I excelled at this right away, and went for years selling cars during the winter and taking off summers, with nights in the bar room all year long.

Eventually, someone got jealous and busted me. I did a year, then jumped right back into it. After a fist fight that broke my wrist, I got surgery and developed a percocet habit. For 10 years. And everything changed. Once the percs got a hold of me, the addiction got deep into my brain. I only took a few pills a day, but I HAD to have them. And Heinekens, always together.

Then I got run over. Really. At work, by someone test driving a car. That hurt! A fractured foot and a herniated disk. First thought? OW! Second thought—more percs! After that percs ruled me. I had to get clean and everybody knew it.

Persistent calling got me into the Boston Rescue Mission. And the program has meant everything to me. Staff really care about the people here and the work they do. They’ll help you stay clean and on the right path. You can feel when your heart is in recovery and that’s because of all the Mission has offered to me.