“Through God and Isaiah House, I am breaking through the chains of addiction.”
My name is Jamil Owens. I am 30 years old and through God and Isaiah House, I am breaking through the chains of addiction.
Growing up I never had to struggle, always had a roof over my head and always had food to eat. When I was 13, I tried marijuana for the first time. I really enjoyed the feeling it gave me. I smoked marijuana all through out high school. Even skipping school some days to smoke all day. My grades became effected by it. I graduated high school and went to Kentucky Christian University to play football. I lasted a semester.
After I left college, I began to party. I was on UK’s campus daily drinking and smoking weed. When I was 19, I tried Xanax and I loved the careless feeling it gave me. So, to fit in more I was always using a substance that would allow me to be someone others would accept.
I used Xanax, Molly, Ecstasy, Cocaine and Percocet. After I burnt all bridges with friends I grew up with, I found myself alone. In January 2018 I began using heroin. I first overdosed in April 2018.
Heroin began to affect my work and my relationships. In July 2018, my girlfriend left me and at that point, I nose dived into addiction. I lived in misery for the next 2 years. Going through 3 more overdoses and 3 different runs and rehabs.
Enough was enough. Through a mutual connection, I was introduced to Reuben Hicks who had gone through the Isaiah House program and he connected me to Isaiah House on Oct 30, 2020 and I am grateful.
The last week of my residential part of the program I was told I would go to their PHP program. I was reluctant at first, but once I really allowed myself to work through the program, it began to work for me. Now I can honestly say, I am proud of who I am.
I embrace the past I went through because it is helping mold me into the best version of myself. Today I am 5 months clean and the happiest I have been in my life. I am an intern at Isaiah House and I have the love and support from a lot of people close to me. They tell me how proud of me they are and that means a lot because I went so long without hearing that.
Today I am living in the moment and focused on my future because yesterday is history.
