Luke, 37, lives in Telford and owns his own contracting business. He’s close with his mom and enjoys being in nature and meditating, which helps relieve the stress of his job. He says, “My life has never been better.” But Luke’s life wasn’t always this good.
In high school, Luke was prescribed Adderall by his doctor, which he continued to take until he was 25. When he was unable to get more Adderall, Luke was offered meth by a co-worker, which he gladly accepted. “It was cheaper and more effective than Adderall,” says Luke. When he launched his own business in 2020, the stress of long days led Luke to add marijuana and alcohol to the mix.
In early 2024, Luke says he hit rock bottom, going to jail for a month. “I was at a low point,” he recalls, “but I knew I didn’t want to lose the things that were important to me.” Although resistant to rehab at first, he did complete seven days of inpatient detox at St. Luke’s Penn Foundation. He then transitioned to the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), which gave him the hope – and the coping tools – he needed.
“I found a community, a safe space to share my experiences and feelings,” Luke says. “I started to care about my sobriety and the why behind it.”
Through IOP, individual counseling, support group meetings, Recovery Dharma (which uses Buddhist practices and principles to help recover from addiction), and SYNC Recovery, Luke learned that he could live without substances and wants to empower others to believe they can do the same. “Life is good on this side too. You have to want it and believe you deserve it. If you do, recovery is possible.”
