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He said, \u201cI would spend money on drugs and alcohol instead of basic needs. I\u2019d have no money in the bank right after I got paid because I would go out and spend my money on drugs instead of what I needed. I had taken drug and alcohol counseling before, and those results said I had a problem, but I said I didn\u2019t.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cycle continued for about 10 years. Finally, charges and a violation of three counts of probation led Garrett to a crossroads. He could avoid jail time if he participated in Tennessee\u2019s Recovery Courts program for non-violent individuals struggling with substance abuse. What seemed to be a way to escape time in jail became a road to recovery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I joined the Recovery Court program, I was thinking, \u2018I\u2019ll get through this, and then I\u2019ll be back using\u00a0drugs,\u2019\u201d said Garrett. \u201cBut the people in the program having my back, the accountability of three drug tests a week, and learning the tools I can use not to do drugs made all the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The program initiated recovery; the initiation of restoration was up to Garrett.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His addiction impacted those closest to him, and recovery enabled Garrett to mend broken relationships. It\u2019s not a once-and-done process but an ongoing opportunity to restore trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said, \u201cTrust is a really hard thing to gain back; it\u2019s more of a time-will-tell type deal. People started to see me changing, and they and other people still in active addiction have asked me how I did it, and I\u2019ve tried to influence them to the best of my ability. The trust factor is hard to gain back because people knew some of the stuff I\u2019d done. All I could do was just show them this time. Give me time, and I can prove I am doing better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And he is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rediscovering who he was before addiction opened the world up to him again. Remembering his love of the outdoors and video gaming connected him to healthy coping mechanisms and gave him something to share with his family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He said, \u201cI have embedded that into my kids because they love being out in nature, walking trails, and exploring the outdoors. We enjoy a balance of being outside and inside playing video games.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n While he hates that his children saw him at his lowest, his wife and children continue to build him up and support him throughout his recovery. Their support has been priceless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt warms my heart and makes me feel good that they are proud of me for being clean, for me to actually be able to be there in sound body and mind,\u201d Garrett said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His mother\u2019s love and support as they\u2019ve worked together to bring him into the roofing company\u2019s management plays a vital role in his ongoing recovery and restoration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She said, \u201cDwayne and I love him because he is our son, and we\u2019re very proud of him for his accomplishments. He has taken on more business responsibility and works as one of our estimators since he graduated from Recovery Court. He handles some of our jobs from start to finish, which would have been impossible before, and working with him daily is truly a godsend. There are days I teach him, and some days he teaches me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taking one moment at a time, Garrett knows others are watching, and opportunities abound to learn and teach. To someone struggling with addiction or who has friends and family entangled in it, his goal is to encourage them and point them to recovery as more than a hope or a dream. He continues to participate in 12-step programs and self-help meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfter attending these meetings, I feel God has a bigger plan for me. Whenever I talk to somebody, and they say that it helped them, made them feel better, or made them not want to use drugs \u2014 even for one day \u2014 it makes me feel good,\u201d Garrett said. \u201cThe small victories should be celebrated just as much as the big victories because for a drug addict, not to use is abnormal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the tools and resources gained from Tennessee\u2019s Recovery Court program, he is taking life moment by moment, grateful for hope, healing, and restoration to his family, friends, and the community. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" YOU\u2019LL FIND HIM less on the housetops and more in the office or out meeting customers in the field these days, but Lucas Garrett of T & L Roofing is content wherever you find him. Three years into recovery from addiction to drugs and alcohol, Garrett is learning to share in the management of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":16726,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/DSC00341-1024x683.jpg\")
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