Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacob.
Hi Jacob, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a healthy, supportive family in St. Louis County. By all accounts, my childhood set the stage for a good life. But like most young people, I felt my share of discomfort as I tried to figure out who I was. When I discovered that drugs and alcohol could take the edge off those feelings, it seemed like an easy solution and for a while, it worked.
I was an athlete. I was driven. I pursued a trade in carpentry and built a life that, on the surface, looked stable and successful. But addiction is progressive, and mine grew quietly beneath the surface until it eventually consumed everything.
What started as a way to cope ended up dismantling my entire world. I lost my home. I lost my direction. Worst of all, I lost my parental rights. I found myself physically and mentally addicted to substances just to stay functional. My life narrowed into a cycle of hospitals, behavioral health units, and jail cells. I committed crimes to support my habit and became someone I never imagined I could be. I wasn’t just struggling I was causing harm. I had become a menace to society, and deep down, I knew it.
But rock bottom has a way of revealing truth. In the middle of all that chaos came the moment I realized that if I wanted a different life, I had to fight for it. Recovery started slowly, one choice at a time. I showed up where I needed to be. I listened. I learned how to face pain instead of numb it. I learned how to take responsibility without drowning in shame.
As I kept doing the work, the person I thought I had lost began to reemerge. I rebuilt relationships, repaired trust, and started creating a life rooted in honesty, purpose, and service. The things addiction had taken from me, including the chance to be the father I wanted to be, became the fuel that pushed me forward.
Along the way, I was given an opportunity I don’t take lightly. I took advantage of the chance to help others walk the same path I once did. Now I work to help my peers at Illinois Recovery Center in Swansea, IL. IRC is the premier private treatment center option in the St. Louis region. It has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. It allows me to turn my past into purpose and to stand beside people who are rebuilding their lives just as I rebuilt mine.
Today, my life is beyond anything I could have imagined at my lowest point. I’m present. I’m healthy. I’m a husband, father, son, brother, friend, and homeowner. I’m committed to growth. And every day, I get to use the darkest parts of my story to help bring hope to someone else’s.
I lost myself for a long time. But in the end, I found something stronger than what I started with: purpose, clarity, and a life worth living.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not at all. My road has been anything but smooth. At my lowest point, I was addicted, homeless, and completely disconnected from the life I once had. I had no transportation, no stability, and no health insurance. Every basic need like food, safety, medical care, became a daily struggle.
What people don’t always see is how exhausting that kind of life is. When you’re trying to survive addiction with no resources, every step feels uphill. The chaos was constant, and I was stuck in a cycle I couldn’t break on my own.
Those challenges didn’t just test me, though, they reshaped me. They taught me humility. They taught me how fragile life can get, and how quickly things can unravel. But they also built the resilience and gratitude I carry today. The struggle wasn’t just a chapter of my life it was the turning point that pushed me toward recovery and purpose.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Today, I serve as an Outreach Coordinator for Illinois Recovery Center, where I use peer support and my own lived experience to connect with individuals who are struggling and guide them toward a path of recovery. My work is deeply personal. I’ve been where they are, and that shared understanding allows me to meet people with honesty, credibility, and compassion. I don’t just talk about recovery; I demonstrate that it’s possible.
I also serve as the Director of the Missouri Affiliate of the National Peer Recovery Alliance, a community where certified substance use disorder peers come together for professional development, networking, and mutual support. It’s a space dedicated to lifting each other up, strengthening our field, and ensuring that peer voices are valued in every corner of the behavioral health system.
Beyond that, I sit on several community committees where my perspective as someone with lived experience is intentionally sought out. In those spaces, I advocate for the people who are still struggling, for policies that reduce barriers, and for systems that reflect humanity rather than judgment.
Over the years, I’ve shared my story across multiple platforms because I believe in a simple truth:
If I recover loud enough, maybe someone else won’t have to suffer in silence.
Stigma is still one of the biggest obstacles people face. There’s stigma around addiction, mental health, medication, relapse, and seeking help. I want my voice, my work, and my example to push back against that.
Professionally, I hope to be known for my humility, my service to others, and my willingness to show up. But personally, the thing I’m most proud of is the husband and father I am today. After losing everything, being able to show up for my family present, sober, and committed, is the greatest privilege of my life.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something that surprises a lot of people is just how many times Narcan has saved my life. I’ve come back from death more times than I can remember. It’s a strange thing to say out loud, but it’s the truth. With addiction impacting society the way it does, the reality is that we are more likely to need Narcan than to be in a situation where we perform CPR. It’s a life-saving tool, and no one should be ashamed to carry it or learn how to use it.
If you want something I share with even fewer people, then I’ll admit that my guilty pleasure these days is premium cigars. People in recovery often have their little indulgences, and that one’s mine. It’s a small reminder that life can still have rituals, flavor, and joy without destroying you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://illinoisrecoverycenter.com
