At age five, John entered foster care with untreated ADHD in what he describes as “a criminal organization.” He learned how to break into cars, steal, and run from law enforcement. By his teenage years, he was living on the edge, constantly searching for the next thrill, legal or otherwise. When he aged out of foster care at 18, the lifestyle continued. Drugs, theft, firearms violations, and repeated encounters with authorities became normal.

“I didn’t care, you know? There was nothing in the world that I cared for. I just wanted to stay high all the time. I didn’t want reality. I didn’t want responsibility. I was just so lost,” John said.

Like many people with untreated ADHD, John found that drugs could temporarily quiet his racing mind. What energized others helped him focus, carry on a conversation, and slow his thoughts. Over time, self-medication turned into addiction.

One day, John overdosed. His heart stopped long enough for his body temperature to drop significantly before EMTs revived him with Narcan and a defibrillator. When he left the hospital, he immediately went searching for more drugs.

Looking back, John believes that experience changed everything.

“Whatever my higher power is, it happened to the extreme,” he said. “It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me because I never intended to get clean.”

One Question Changed Everything

After jail time, John was assigned to Recovery Unplugged, a music-assisted treatment program in Fort Lauderdale. During orientation, a counselor pointed out that John did everything to the maximum.

“When I did drugs, I did them to the extreme,” John recalled. The counselor replied, “Why don’t you apply that same extremism to your recovery?”

That single sentence stopped him in his tracks.

“Something inside of me said, ‘What if I take that addiction and apply it to recovery?’ And that’s what I did.”

John has been sober ever since.

Today, he approaches sobriety with the same intensity he once brought to addiction. Even when coping strategies sounded “stupid,” he tried them anyway: grounding exercises, self-talk, gratitude, and positive thinking. Over time, he discovered that even in difficult situations, people often step in to help.

A Community Dedicated to Recovery

John accepted a court-monitored treatment plan with the Indian River County Mental Health Court and received education and support through Thrive. He was also referred to Sarwat Gad, MD, TCCH Behavioral Health Director, for medication-assisted treatment.

“I check in with Dr. Gad on my meds and then we have a regular conversation,” John said. “He told me to get a hobby, so I made him some coasters.”

The relationship helped John see himself and the world differently.

“John is a really good guy,” said Dr. Gad. “He’s working very hard, and I’m really proud of his progress.”

One of the hardest parts of recovery has been leaving pieces of his old life behind. A close friend avoids contacting him because she doesn’t want to jeopardize his sobriety. Still, John remains fiercely loyal to the people he cares about. He carries Narcan wherever he goes and has even helped friends find recovery themselves.

For years, John believed he wasn’t enough, that life would never change. What he eventually realized is that he is intelligent and capable. He has trained as an aviation mechanic, carpenter, and marine mechanic and enjoys subjects like biology, chemistry, electrical theory, and mathematics.

“Prison and sobriety helped me realize I’m smart,” he said.

Today, John rides his bike as a form of meditation and grounding. He is working to reinstate his driver’s license and find stable employment. The path forward is not always easy, but his priorities have changed.

“My life isn’t about making money,” he said. “It’s about being happy.”