The Road to Recovery
Samaritan House resident celebrates eight years of sobriety
by Christian Piatt

James had plans for the future. He attended Texas A & M University for three years, and worked to maintain an independent and comfortable lifestyle. Things weren’t easy, but he had hope.

However, James’ future was not as bright as he might have imagined. He got involved with drugs and alcohol at a relatively young age. James also had encounters with the law, resulting in a period of incarceration. To make matters worse, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor approximately twenty years ago, and had to undergo major surgery. The event was traumatic, but James did not realize the magnitude of the impact it would have on his life in years to come.

Struggling with a growing alcohol problem, James eventually ended up homeless, living day-to-day at the Presbyterian night shelter. One day, a group came to the shelter offering free HIV testing.

“I didn’t have anything better to do at the time,” says James, “so I got it done. I couldn’t believe it when the results came back positive.” James believes he contracted the virus from a transfusion during the brain surgery he underwent in 1986, and so the diagnosis understandably came as a shock. Homeless, jobless, addicted to alcohol and still reeling from the news of his HIV status, James had every reason to lose hope. But instead, he took an opportunity to turn his life in a new direction.

“The director of the shelter knew I was positive,” he says, “and so he told me about Samaritan House.” James moved to the facility on the north side of Fort Worth in November of 1994. Aside from a brief period in the nineties, James has been a permanent resident of Samaritan House ever since.

Last month, James celebrated his eight-year anniversary of sobriety, thanks to the support of fellow addicts in recovery and his chemical dependency counselors. He is currently serving as the treasurer for the Samaritan House Resident Council, and he is active with the resident security patrol, called “Parrot Eyes.” James’ goals are simple, but not easy. He hopes to stay clean, to maintain his health, and to eventually relocate to Virginia to live with his current girlfriend. He hopes to get a job that won’t compromise his health, and he has aspirations of finally putting his degree to good use.

“My advice to anyone new to recovery is just to keep your chin up,” he says. “Even if recovery seems hard now, there will be times later on when it’s even harder. Keep your distance from temptation, and get involved with other addicts who are serious about recovery.” James admits that he can’t guarantee he’ll always stay clean, but for now, he’s just taking it one day at a time.