Success Stories
Sharing His Knowledge and Life Lessons
In 1975 John Rhodes entered Bullock House (the former name of the Project Rehab’s treatment facility at 200 Eastern SE). Four months later he walked out the door in a solid state of denial. But what he was told while there stayed with him for fifteen more years of drinking and heroin use, until he was ready to make the sacrifices needed to remain clean and sober. Hitting bottom turned his mind to thoughts of suicide. John was still not willing to make the commitment until his youngest son was born. It finally dawned on him that he didn’t want his children to go through what he went through, being raised by an addicted parent. So he returned to recovery, committed to change everything he knew about life and how to live it. John returned to school becoming a Certified Addictions Counselor. He says “I was going to make my addictions work for me.” Today John Rhodes is living what he calls a responsible life and sees his dreams come true every day. His jobs in the Intensive Outpatient Program of Life Guidance and the Juvenile Court system are gratifying because “I help adults and kids, just like me.” By sharing his story John hopes to motivate and inspire. He acknowledges, “I will never be cured.” But he wants people to know what he knows, that recovery is a lifelong journey.
John’s story appears in 40 Stories of Courage and Hope: Celebrating 40 Years of Project Rehab, which was published in Fall 2008 in recognition of Project Rehab’s 40th anniversary. Click here to read more stories about our courageous clients and the treatment pioneers who helped make recovery possible.
This story is sponsored by GreenGiftz.com by Promotional Impact