Addict Finds God and Beats Addiction
Summary and Analysis…
Introduced to painkillers after a motorcycle accident Evan Figueroa-Vargas became addicted and his habit escalated after his girlfriend and their child left him. Eventually, he was arrested for theft and incarcerated. In jail he went through withdrawal and found God. He turned his life around, now lives drug free and works to help other addicts overcome their addiction. Mr. Figueroa-Vargas believes there are many paths to recovery.
Excerpted from The Inquirer
“But at 25, he was in a motorcycle accident and was prescribed an opioid pain medication, Percocet. Then living with a girlfriend and their child, he was devastated when they left. The pills helped take the edge off, but he needed more and more to get the same effect. He thought he was OK because “the doctor was giving them to me.” …
He worked up to 50 Percocets a day and was arrested for driving under the influence. He lost his job, started losing friends. He sold drugs to pay for his habit. He started dabbling in heroin — cheaper, stronger, and exactly what he thought he never would use…
In 2011, he was alone in a prison cell, sick from withdrawal. “I remember feeling the presence of something greater than me, which to me was the spirit of God, the Holy Spirit — something telling me I was going to overcome this…
“I believe there are many pathways to recovery. Faith has been my pathway to recovery. You have to have will. You have to want to change things. Recovery is possible.”
