A Mobile event this weekend will spotlight recovery from drug addiction and the resources available to local families.
Kristy Wells of Baldwin County knows the toll of addiction firsthand. She built an extensive collection of mug shots from crimes she committed to support a pain-pill habit that reached 70 pills a day and cost her roughly half a million dollars — but she says losing the trust of the people she loves hurt far more.
“I had three children. I lost my marriage. I lost my mother. I mean no one believed anything I had to say because, like other people who are alcoholics and addicts, we are the biggest liars and manipulators on the face of the earth,” Wells said.
Facing prison, she hit rock bottom and sought inpatient treatment. Wells has now been sober for more than 12 years and stays active helping others through the Drug Education Council and other agencies.
“That’s now sort of the purpose of my life, is to speak to people in a conversational way and help them understand that this is a treatable, manageable disease,” she said.
Recovery Fest 2018 is set for Saturday, Sept. 15, at Battleship Park from 9 a.m. until noon. The free event will include dozens of vendors and agencies with resources for families. For more information, contact the Drug Education Council.