Rising From the Ashes: Justin’s Triumph Over Addiction and Adversity
We are proud to share a story that Seth Peebles, clinical supervisor at Skagit Community Detox (SCD), wrote about Justin, a client who has risen from the ashes like a phoenix.
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Seth wrote:
Justin is a blazing testament to the unbreakable human spirit, a fierce cry of hope that pierces the darkness of addiction and shines brightly with victorious light. In November 2022, Justin was a client at SCD – lost, broken, and battling shadows that threatened to swallow him whole. But today, he stands proudly, celebrating three amazing years of being clean and sober. It is an astonishing triumph against all odds!
Over this past year, Justin returned to SCD—not as a client or victim, but as a powerful panelist on recovery, pouring out his soul to share his raw, unfiltered story, and revealing the miraculous solution that has transformed his life.
On one panel, Justin openly declared, “The day I got clean was 11-05-2022.” His eyes burned with the fire of a man who has fought through hell and back. He confessed with unshakable sincerity, “I had been enslaved by drugs and alcohol since I was 19. That was 15 years of darkness, pain, and despair. Now, I am 37, and I stand here as a testament to resilience!”
There was a pivotal moment that Justin recounted; his wake-up call, “What brought me here to SCD was an unintentional overdose of carfentanyl—more potent than Fentanyl—that nearly ended my life. I found myself at United General Hospital, fighting for breath after my friend performed chest compressions for several minutes. I was rushed to the ER, my life hanging in the balance.”
After Justin was stabilized he said, “I called my stepdad for help; he agreed to pick me up on condition I get into detox. The very next day, I reached out to SCD and was admitted immediately. My dad had always said he’d take me to detox when I was ready, and that day, I finally was. I landed at SCD on November 4th, 2022, and awoke on the 5th, sober—alive, on a path to be reborn.”
Gratitude for those who believed in him always shines through when Justin speaks. “I met with my clinician at SCD, Stacey Rohweder, and did everything she asked. I had been at SCD for six days. When my treatment bed date was pushed out another week, I knew—I just knew—I couldn’t leave. At that moment, I saw the danger around me – the nearby houses where fentanyl was sold. I understood that if I left detox, I might never come back. Thanks to this place, I stayed, and in total, I was here for 11 days. That decision saved my life. Without it, I don’t know if I would be here today – clean, sober, or even alive.”
Justin’s journey didn’t end at detox. He fought fiercely for his future entering residential treatment and embracing the path of recovery through Celebrate Recovery and Cocaine Anonymous. He was also accepted into a housing program with New Earth Recovery, starting at the entry level, then graduating from the program within a year. In October 2025, Justin proudly moved into his own home, sharing it with a good friend in recovery – a symbol of hope realized through perseverance.
Since reclaiming his life, Justin has dedicated himself to growth and service. “I went to school to become a diesel tech within a year of being clean and sober, and earned my driver’s license back in March 2024. By June 2025, I graduated college with my Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). I am now employed, housed, and more committed than ever to sharing my story of hope, redemption, and the promise that no matter how lost you feel, there is a way back home.”
Justin is someone who refuses to be defined by his past. His journey from darkness to light and from despair to triumph is an unstoppable roar of hope that inspires every heart to believe that no matter how hard the battle, victory is possible!