LEXINGTON, Ky. — September is Recovery Awareness Month. The opioid crisis has affected thousands of Kentuckians. Though a lot of the conversation about this issue is centered on those who have lost their lives, there is hope for people struggling with addiction.
Chandler Maze enjoyed school and playing sports despite the hardships he faced growing up. He lived with his mother and stepfather, who moved around a lot. Maze endured abuse during this time. He was removed from home at 12 years old, put in foster care, and then adopted by his grandparents. All of this mixed with peer pressure led Maze down a difficult path. He started drinking, smoking marijuana and doing Xanax at 17 years old. Things escalated quickly from there.
“The first time that I, you know, I used heroin, I never thought that my life was gonna be the way that it was,” Maze said.
He became addicted to heroin at 18. Through the years, he experienced homelessness and spent time in prison. He went through stints of rehab during this time and would then relapse.
“Things were really bad,” Maze recalled.
In Oct. 2022, Maze overdosed. His girlfriend, at the time, was pregnant when it happened. Knowing his daughter was on the way gave him the strength to go into recovery after overdosing.
“I never felt the type of, like, love and care that I have from anyone in my entire life than I have from her and it’s just a joy, it really is, to be a dad,” Maze said.
Next month, Maze will celebrate two years of sobriety and is now a certified recovery coach at the Recovery Café in Lexington. He facilitates circles with small groups of people where they go over things like weekly goals, challenges and positive events.
Joseph Halbert in Louisville is also in recovery. He’s experienced homelessness for the past six years and has also endured a lot throughout his battle with addiction.
“I’ve overdosed 15 times and because of Narcan, every time, you know, they brought me back to life,” Halbert said.
He has been sober for approximately 70 days and recently shared his story at VOCAL-KY’s International Overdose Awareness Rally.
Halbert says his sobriety has given him something to look forward to.
“It’s like I’m getting, you know, a reboot on life,” Halbert said. “A second chance, you know, and I’m excited about it.”
Both Halbert and Maze have the following messages for anyone struggling:
“It’s scary to go into that detox, you know, because, you know, you’re a little afraid of the few days of pain, but a few days of pain is so worth it,” Halbert said. “There’s so much more happiness in my life than when I was on drugs.”
“You are worth it,” Maze said. “You have a lot to offer in this world and I didn’t know really what I offered for a long time and if you are struggling, reach out because there are people that do care.”
The Recovery Café has locations in both Lexington and Louisville that offer several services for people.
The café also distributes harm reduction resources, which can also be found at VOCAL-KY and the Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition in Louisville.