Philip’s story: Ex-drug dealer has three years clean

Happy New Year! To help kick things off, I want to tell you the story of one of my best friends in recovery, Philip, 30, from Antioch, who has three years clean. Take it away, Philip, or “Phillippe,” as I like to call him!

I grew up in Chicago, on the South Side. I grew up without a father; the streets was my father. I was infatuated with the gangbangers and the drugs, the people making fast money. The love they had with each other, or I thought they did, and the money they were making.

In my neighborhood, everybody was doing it. My homeboy, G, showed me how to make money, protect myself, shit like that. I started selling drugs before I moved to Nashville.

And when I got here, I started selling drugs. And with selling drugs, I started getting high. I met a few guys who were moving a lot of cocaine, so I formed me a team to make some money. But in the midst of it all, I was getting high. Cars, women, clubbin’ every night. I was a drunk, a pill head, I loved Ecstacy.

I thought I was happy but I don’t think I really was, probably. Then it came crashing down in ’06 when I caught a charge, possession of cocaine with intent to sell. That was my first big boy charge. I went to jail for a little bit, got out, starting getting high again. Still selling drugs. I got used to the good life. The whole time I knew I was messing up but I couldn’t stop it.

I went to jail again, then I ended up going to rehab after two years doing time. That’s when my life changed. I started to recover. I started going to meetings, met some good people who got me in the right direction.

Now I live a better life. It still has its ups and down, but I always got somebody to call. I’m happy, most of the time. The best part of it is getting to enlighten somebody like somebody enlightened me. Especially the kids. I love the kids.

And it’s so cool to watch Philip interact with some of those teens down at the Youth Opportunity Center at 17th & Charlotte. My favorite thing to watch is Philip touching the shoulder of one of those teens and saying, “How’s it goin’, little homie?”

Thanks for sharing your story, Philip, and for being my friend. If you’re in recovery and want to tell your story here, please email me at brad@npponline.org.

We’ll start getting back into some topic blogs soon. Next week: Recovery book thumpbers! That should be fun, and please email me if you’d like to get in on that convo.