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14 GROUNDCOVER NEWS RECOVERY JOHNATHAN GLASS Home of New Vision Recovery Coach Ryan Sawicki began experimenting with marijuana and alcohol at about 14 years old. He said that for him it was mostly out of boredom with a little peer pressure mixed in. Reflecting on his first time drinking, Ryan recalled, “It was the first time I ever drank, and we were eating pizza, and I vomited all over my shirt. It was funny at the time, but that’s not normal. There was a problem from the first drink.” His substance use escalated when he was prescribed opioids after having his wisdom teeth removed. “Not good. I felt terrible, hopeless, depressed and frustrated,” he said. “The days of fun were short-lived. The suffering, however, lasted over 10 years.” Ryan says he was 16 when he realized opioids were going to be a serious part of his life. Ryan grew up in New Boston, Michigan. His parents divorced when he was young, and while both were involved, his mother carried most of the parenting responsibilities. “I don’t want to say I was raised by a single mom, but she was for a bit. I think she did a good job with being divorced.” Eventually, when opioids became too expensive and hard to get, Ryan began injecting heroin. “If opioids were more available, I’d have continued with using those,” he said. “But heroin was easier to get, and cheaper. It was stronger, yeah, but it was just a strong opioid.” He kept working in heating and cooling during active use. He had clothes and transportation, but soon became unhoused. “My car was my mobile home,” he said. “I needed to keep the car running so that I could buy heroin and have a safe place to use.” Ryan recalled a low point when he was arrested and couldn’t afford bail. “I had nobody in my corner throughout my active use. When I ended up in jail for a paraphernalia charge, I couldn’t afford the $100 for bail. That should have told me something. I didn’t have anything financially, and I had no one to rely on for help. At the time, I knew that my difficult situation was my own doing. I think it was the self-honesty that eventually got me sober. And yet, when I got out of jail, I kept using.” Ryan learned how substance use slowly separates people from their lives and their identities. “Friends, who were once close, go in one of two directions,” he said. “If a friend remains sober, they eventually grow tired of their friend’s disorder and withdraw. On the other hand, if an addict’s friends are using drugs too, they have their own issues. It’s a problem of being separated from everything you once loved, even your own personality.” He described the outcome plainly. have payoffs later. Lifting has trackable goals. Today I went five pounds heavier, that’s a goal I met. I’m generally logic oriented; my brain needs concrete numbers.” Ryan has been working in recovery “Drugs start with a party but lead to one of three places — jails, institutions or death. All three are places of complete aloneness.” When he finally decided to ask for help, Ryan’s parents were there. “When I decided I needed help, my parents took me in. I don’t take that for granted. That means so much to me. I wouldn’t have made it to where I am if they hadn’t helped me.” Ryan’s early recovery experience was unusual in that it came with a powerful realization. “Early recovery tends to be hard for people. I kind of had one of those epiphanies in treatment where I was just like – I’m done. There was no need to focus on one day at a time … One day at a time felt like I was leaving the door open to go back to misery.” That insight helped Ryan stay focused. He started putting his energy into rebuilding a life without drugs. “Successful recoverees have an antidrug. Since drugs tend to take over a person’s mind, a recoveree needs to put a life together that will crowd out the intrusive inner temptations.” For Ryan, that outlet became powerlifting. “I got really into fitness. I began competing in power lifting competitions.” His best lifts include a 285pound bench press, 400-pound squat, and 520-pound deadlift. “I have my own fitness business, where I give a discount to those in recovery.” He notes that the business is doing well and is nearly at full capacity. Ryan also began volunteering at Home of New Vision. Just nine months into recovery, he was hired as a certified peer recovery coach. “That pretty much locked me into my commitment towards sobriety. I couldn’t use if my job was to get others sober.” While the standard requirement to become a certified peer recovery coach is typically two years in recovery, Ryan’s determination and attitude earned him an early opportunity. Alongside his work and recovery routines, Ryan explored support groups like AA. “With my fitness commitment and serving others in recovery, I tried to get into AA, but it never really fit my vibe.” Instead, he attributes his long-term recovery to having concrete goals. “When I have goals that means I need to do stuff that’s maybe going to suck now but support for between eight and nine years. The work remains fulfilling, but not without challenges. “Seeing people make the same mistakes I probably would have made, or seeing people relapse chronically, both of those are a reminder of how long I’ve been sober. Sometimes my sobriety makes it difficult to relate. But all I have to do is think about what they’re saying for a second and I realize, yeah, I probably would have done that if I were in that situation. But today, the insanity of a use disorder doesn’t compute for me, I think I’ve grown past that.” Ryan says recovery has helped him grow into a more understanding and empathetic person. “I get that sometimes a person has to learn their lesson the hard way. I wish I could have seen my mistakes in someone else and avoided them entirely. But that wasn’t the path I walked.” His advice for others is simple and direct. “It’s not a cookie cutter thing. Do things that are fun, things you enjoy. No one needs to be bored in sobriety. Boredom was a major reason I found drugs in the first place. Find what works and stick to it.” He added, “Most people in recovery need to change their playmates and playgrounds. While a geographic change doesn’t guarantee sobriety, it doesn’t hurt to make a change with a purpose.” If you are interested in taking a lifelong journey to wellness and recovery, call Home of New Vision at 734-975-1602. Recovery coaches are available throughout the week, along Access clean-up request form at bit.ly/4gk21kW AUGUST 22, 2025 Finding what works: Ryan Sawicki's recovery story "Most people in recovery need to change their playmates and playgrounds. While a geographic change doesn’t guarantee sobriety, it doesn’t hurt to make a change with a purpose." — Ryan S. with licensed counselors. If inpatient treatment is something you’re considering, Home of New Vision offers a 28-day program, with the opportunity to transition into recovery housing afterward. Recovery is possible, and support is always available.

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