The story of Paul: Illness in Recovery

Continuing our December series, “Illness in Recovery,” is the deeply inspiring story of Paul—a man whose strong foundation in recovery became the very thing that sustains him through progressive illness.Paul grew up in a large family with parents who were working professionals, raised in an environment of structure, opportunity, and expectation. Yet from an early age, Paul knew exactly what he wanted—to get high. With easy access to drugs and alcohol, his disease took hold early. By elementary school he was using daily, in middle school he was high every day, and by high school he was drunk every day. Intelligent and quick, he learned how to pass tests without doing the work, coasting through high school, college, and graduate school while quietly feeding a relentless addiction.On the surface, Paul built a professional career and a life that appeared successful. Beneath it, he was unraveling—drinking throughout the day, using just to function, and moving through life hungover and disconnected. He cycled through rehabs and detoxes, his longest clean stretch barely 28 days. He attended meetings while still intoxicated, masked the smell of alcohol, and celebrated others’ recovery while continuing to use himself. Even so, he married, became a father to three children, and tried to hold everything together.Eventually, the illusion collapsed. Paul credits a judge with saving his life—creating a moment of clarity that brought him into the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous with a willingness he had never known before. This time, something changed. He stayed. He went to meetings daily for years, built relationships, worked the program, and established a recovery strong enough to carry him forward.With about 14 years clean, Paul’s wife noticed changes in his movement. After numerous tests and misdiagnoses, he was finally diagnosed with a progressive, degenerative neurological disease with no cure and no treatment. Once fully able-bodied, Paul now uses a wheelchair—but the fellowship he committed to long before his diagnosis showed up in powerful ways. His home group raised funds to install a chair lift so he could continue attending meetings, and friends consistently make sure he can remain connected to the rooms.Today, Paul remains deeply engaged in recovery. He is part of a tight-knit group of men who study the literature together weekly, stays focused on the newcomer, and continues to show up with humility and purpose. Despite hearing loss, physical decline, and the realities of illness, Paul’s recovery has never wavered. He insists that life did not have to be this good—and simply by being present, he gives hope to everyone around him, one day at a time.