Eddie’s 24, a CHS graduate, and a recovering heroin addict.
He’s been through the Frontline Foundations program twice, both times
voluntarily, the second time after a relapse.
A relapse? Eddie was between re-fills of his anti-addiction medicine. “I was
going through withdrawal,” he says. “It just kind of happened.”
Now, as part of Frontline’s art-recovery initiative, Eddie’s a sculptor. “I
sculpt all kinds of stuff, an eagle, an elephant, this crazy guy with bug
eyes,” he says. “Art’s given me a new hobby, something to fill my time with,
which is huge. Using was the only thing I was concerned about. Take that out
and I just had all this time. So I’m sculpting. I started doing a lot of
models too, I do models at home, this Charger, funny cars.”
For Eddie—as for a lot of Frontline clients—Tuesday nights, Pay It Forward
nights, art nights, have become something to look forward to. “It
brings people I went through my class with together,” he says. “They’re
coming here. It’s keeping us connected. Feeling the happiness of these
recovering people, being comfortable and being able to talk about your past
and not being worried about what they’re going to think. That’s really nice,
everyone’s so nice, so up-beat.”
Has his experience with addiction worked its way into his art? “Maybe
self-consciously,” Eddie says. “You know that crazy face I’m doing. It’s
kind of wild. The eagle sculpture, l got that idea from my Recovery Bible,
about an eagle spreading its wings.”
Has Frontline’s faith-based approach worked for him? “I was never too strong
with that growing up,” Eddie says. “When I got here, they say ‘God’ but
they’re talking about drawing on a higher power and it may not be God. ‘If
it’s uncomfortable for you, let us know.’ I found the higher power and I
think it’s one of the most important things as far as recovery goes.”
“It’s more about healing your spiritual side,” Eddie adds. ‘Maybe God is the
answer for you but they’re not pushing it. They’re not pushing it on
anybody. And if you don’t believe it, ‘That’s fine with us, we just want you
to know.’”
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