Rehab at 13, Homeless at 18, Sober Today

In this episode of Recovery Matters, TJ sits down with Matt, a young person in recovery who now works as a Young People and Family Services Coordinator with CCAR. Matt opens up about his journey, beginning with his first treatment at just 13 years old. Despite having parents in recovery, he struggled deeply with drugs, arrests, and time in the juvenile justice system.   He shares the progression of his addiction—weed and pills leading to heroin, crack, and near-fatal lows including homelessness, suicidal thoughts, and severe health complications. A turning point came when he entered detox and long-term treatment programs, where structure and community support helped him rebuild his life.   Matt also talks about relapse, rebuilding quickly, and how building a strong network of sober friends became crucial to his recovery. His story highlights both the tragedy of losing friends to overdose and the joy of discovering a fulfilling sober life—travel, motorcycles, relationships, and most importantly, fatherhood. Becoming a dad gave Matt a new sense of purpose, grounding his recovery in love and responsibility.     00:00 – Introductions 00:36 – First Treatment at 13 05:00 – Escalating Addiction 07:00 – First Arrests & Juvenile Justice 08:00 – Hitting Rock Bottom at 18 10:00 – Sober House & Overdose Scare 13:00 – Relapse After Heartbreak 15:00 – Waterbury & Heavy Addiction 17:30 – Final Turning Point 19:00 – Structured Recovery & Torrington Move 22:00 – Slip & Quick Return to Recovery 23:00 – Building a New Life 25:00 – Meeting His Fiancée & Becoming a Father 29:00 – Parenthood in Recovery 34:00 – Advice for Newcomers ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery