Real life stories from real life recovery clients.
Meet Carl
“My name’s Carl Christian. I work second shift here at Shawnee Counseling Center. I take guys to meetings, pass meds, do drug screens. I get to help one-on-one with the clients—and it’s a great job.”
Carl doesn’t hide who he is or where he came from. He’s been through it, and now he’s on the other side, showing others the way.
How It Started
“Childhood was pretty good, man. My mom and dad did the best they could with what they had.”
Carl didn’t come from a broken home. He had love and support growing up. But that didn’t stop addiction from finding its way in. He started drinking and smoking weed around 16 or 17. By 19, the opioid crisis had hit hard, and Carl got pulled in.
“Drinking on the weekends, smoking pot was normal. Using meth was normal.”
It escalated fast—pain pills, meth, then heroin when the pills dried up.
Why It Got Worse
“I started hanging out with a different crowd of people, and their drugs would become harder.”
Carl says it plain: who you hang around matters. That crowd, those choices—that’s how things spiraled.
He wasn’t trying to numb childhood trauma. He just didn’t know how to process life once it got heavy.
“My brother was normal until he was seven. Got bit by a mosquito. Encephalitis. He’s been handicapped ever since. That was my best friend. I didn’t know how to deal with that.”
Losing Everything
“She said, ‘You can’t just do this once, Carl. You’ll lose everything you own.’ And she was right.”
Carl remembers the exact moment he tried heroin for the first time. Six months later, everything was gone—his girlfriend, his kids, electricity, water, hope.
“It’s a pretty low point when your family doesn’t even want you around.”
He had two prison numbers: one for selling, one for manufacturing meth. Thirty-six driving under suspensions. CPS took his son. The courts took his license. And addiction took everything else.
The Turnaround
“Probation sent me to treatment. Sounds corny as all get out, but that’s what changed my life.”
Carl went to inpatient. Then he came to Shawnee.
He slipped once—used kratom from a gas station—and had to go back to inpatient for 31 days.
“Best 31 days I’ve had in years. I got three best friends out of that. Staff who believed in me. Tools to get my license back, tools to get my kid back.”
He even earned his high school diploma. Now he’s working toward his CDCA.
Why Shawnee Matters
“Shawnee gave me a chance. They didn’t just help me—they gave me the tools to help myself.”
Carl started working with Shawnee Development. Two days a week. Then three. Eventually, he made payroll. They didn’t just give him a job—they taught him how to keep one.
“The relationships I built there, I still use every day.”
What Life Looks Like Now
“Two years, six months, three days clean.”
Carl’s life today? He’s raising his kids. Got his license. Pays for everything with honest money. His parents trust him again. They let him care for his brother. He’s right next door and helps anytime they need it.
“My one-year-old, he’ll never know me on drugs.”
That means everything.
What Keeps Him Sober
“I do smart recovery. I surround myself with like-minded people. I stay away from negative talk, even if it’s good people having it. I just leave.”
Recovery isn’t just a one-time thing—it’s who Carl surrounds himself with, what he listens to, and how he shows up every day.
The Real Deal About Shawnee
“I’ve been out of the program a year and three months. Still use the resources. Still talk to people I met there.”
Carl tells a story about being at the hospital when his fiancée was in labor. One of his old counselors was there too, waiting on a grandbaby. They had a 15-minute conversation that stuck with him for months.
“If I knew there was family and fellowship like this in early recovery, I’d have come years ago.”
To Anyone Struggling
“What’s the worst that could happen? Give it 24 hours. The streets will still be there.”
Carl knows what it’s like to feel like there’s no way out. He’s been there. But now he knows better—and he wants others to know too.
If you’re looking for a recovery program that prioritizes your long-term well-being and prepares you for life beyond treatment, Shawnee Counseling Center is here to support you.