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Personal Recovery Stories

Recovered, with April Tomah

I’m not recovering,” said April Tomah of Milford. “I’m recovered.” She once struggled with heroin addiction, experiencing all the painful “anything and everything” that comes with active drug use, but she is now an enthusiastic, healthy mother of three and member of Maine’s Passamaquoddy Tribe. April’s...

From ‘Failure’ to Success

Although I’m quick to share my accomplishments on social media, I sometimes forget that sharing my failures and admitting defeat also can be an accomplishment. When I first heard about surrender in early recovery, I hated that word. I hated the idea of admitting defeat...

Stories Restoring Hope – Issue 25

For most people, working the graveyard shift is not a first choice. But for Wendy Ayres of Waldo, working nights in a residential substance use treatment facility is exactly her first choice. When you meet Wendy, it’s hard not to be drawn to her warm...

A Son, Softened Ed Crockett’s Story

In 1963, Ed Crockett was 2 years old, the youngest of eight children living on Munjoy Hill, with a father that the Portland Press Herald called “the biggest drunk in Portland.” Ed’s mother Virginia made the “incredibly courageous” decision to ask the father of her...

Maine Voices of Recovery Issue #24

Maine Voices of Recovery is a series written by Jamie Lovley and created by Knox County Community Health Coalition in partnership with the community. The goal of the series is to teach the community about recovery, dispel misunderstanding about substance use disorder in the...

Dave Smith

Better Every Day Dave Smith’s Story A young addict recently asked his friend in recovery if he ever, you know, thought about getting high again or thought about drinking again. Dave, the friend, took a moment and looked at his life: a 20-year marriage, a strong...

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