Josh Stone
My name is Josh Stone, and I am a grateful recovering addict. I spent 25+ years of my life in active addiction. All forms of speed and all forms of opioids were my main demons. I was not only a drug addict, I was a dealer. Fentanyl came on the scene in my small town during COVID and since then we have lost about 50 people that I knew personally to overdose. On 12-25-21 I overdosed on fentanyl for the 3rd and final time. I knew that day that it was time for a change, that change wouldn't take place immediately. Thankfully I didn't die or go to prison and on 4-6-22 I voluntarily walked into a detox facility and started my recovery journey.
By the time you read this i will be 2 years clean from all mind and mood altering substances. I give credit to myself, my God, the support of my family, the support of my recovery community, and my willingness to work the 12 steps of Narcotics Anonymous in my life daily. In those 2 years my life has completely changed in so many great ways I can't even list them all. So I will give you short incomplete list in no particular order. I love myself for the first time ever. Relationships with my family have been and continue to be restored. I have goals and have accomplished many goals that I have set out for. I am reliable. I am trustworthy. The list truly goes on and on.
With all the changes that have taken place in my journey the biggest one is that I have found my passion and purpose. My passion is recovering out loud. For so long I didn't believe that I could ever get clean, I had no one showing me that it was possible. I didn't have anyone that I could look at and say that "I knew that guy when he was strung out like Tuesdays wet laundry and if he can get clean so can I" There is such a strong stigma that comes along with addiction and recovery. People are afraid and ashamed of letting people know what that have been through for so many reasons. Don't get me wrong I'm not proud of the life that I lived for 25+ years but it's the reality that has made me the man that you are reading about right now. I am a Phoenix that has risen from the fire and that is what has shown me my purpose. My purpose on this planet is to reach back into the flames of addiction and pull others out.
I came home from rehab without a bit of knowledge of how to accomplish that mission. However I had a great example to follow and get help from an old friend had also found recovery and she has been a huge inspiration in my life and journey. With the help and inspiration of her and her husband I created a recovery group on Facebook called The Daily Struggle 931. It is a safe place full of support, encouragement, experience, strength, and hope for any and everyone whose life has been touched by the disease of addiction in anyway. I didn't expect there to ever be more than maybe 100 people in the group but today we are over 1300 members and are spread across 20+states, as well as a few members in Canada. We as a group have helped numerous people go into treatment. From paying intake fees, to buying new cloths, personal hygiene items, and other personal needs for men and women in treatment. We have also had a couple of great in person events where we seen people celebrate their recovery, decide to go into treatment and even baptized numerous people in the name of Jesus Christ at one of our events. We are not a "faith based" group but I do believe in Jesus and I will not be quite about that. However there are people in our group that don't believe in Jesus and that is ok. We are judgement free in both directions. Nobody judges anyone else for any reason. I don't care what you believe, I just don't want you to die in active addiction. We have also started a Virtual NA Home Group called "Finding Freedom". We host meetings 5 nights a week. Including a men's only meeting as well as a women's only meeting. The meetings are open to all who want to attend and we would love for you to join us.
I have recently been given the opportunity to begin a career that involves my passion and my purpose by working in a faith based discipleship /recovery program for men. This is just the first page in this new chapter of my life and I'm so grateful for it. I can't wait to see what doors God opens in my future. However until He says it's time to walk through that door, I will be here doing His work while helping men find freedom from any and all things that have been keeping them captive in bondage.
It is my hearts cry to see people overcome their addictions and find the same freedom and new way to live that I have personally found. I will continue to do all that I can to carry the message of hope to the addicts that still suffer by actively recovering out loud until my last breath on this planet. Please help me spread that message by following me and sharing my socials.
To the suffering addict that reads this, I know you don't know me but I can truly tell you that I love you because I am you. You can make it out, there is a new way to live, it's not easy and it won't happen over night but I promise you that it is possible. If I can do it, you can too! We do recover and if you want help reach out to me and I will help you get connected with people who can help you get the help that you deserve and need. I love you. Thank you to all who have taken time to read this and thank you Travis for this beautiful opportunity to share with the world. I'm truly honored.
