Finding His Way Back
armando
recovery
The Navy, Addiction, and Building a Life
Armando entered the Navy at 17. His addictive behaviors, however, were already becoming stronger. “My consumption of alcohol had really increased a lot,” he explains. Traveling from port to port only gave him more opportunities to drink and use drugs. He remembers smoking marijuana in different countries and drinking different kinds of alcohol along the way. But he returned home determined to build a career. He attended Pima College and earned an associate’s degree in fire science. He worked construction, joined the carpenters union, earned his EMT, and eventually pursued a position with the Tucson Fire Department. But addiction was still there. He was running fevers and his body began hurting. Eventually, he went to the hospital and received devastating news: “We have to put you in emergency surgery because your kidney is not working.”
A Life of Accomplishments and Addiction
Armando eventually enrolled at Brown Mackie to study surgical technology and says he excelled in the accelerated program. But while he was nearing the end of his degree, his mother needed him. “My love for my mother,” he says, was what made him leave school and care for her. He spent five years taking care of his mother until she passed away. Family circumstances left him without a stable home, and he eventually moved to Phoenix to live with his daughter for several years. His alcoholism then cocaine use became constant. Eventually, he returned to Tucson, where a close friend stepped in and helped him, Armando knew something had to change. “I was tired of my life, and I was tired of my behaviors,” he says.
Finding His Way Back to Gospel Rescue Mission
Armando had been to Gospel Rescue Mission before. About three years ago Armando’s first attempt at recovery didn’t last. He was sent out and spent months moving between friends and living on the streets. A close friend continued to support him, reminding him, “You’re a slave to it, Armando.” Eventually, Armando realized he couldn’t control his addiction on his own and chose to return to Gospel Rescue Mission. Now, nearly nine months into recovery, Armando is clean and working through the steps and Genesis program. Most importantly, his faith has grown. “I’m so grateful that I realize that there is a higher power,” he says. “There is a higher power that looks over us, that guides us, that supports us.” He adds, “I finally realized that, hey, I’m just hurting myself.”
Changing His Life, One Day at a Time
Armando describes this season of his life as “I’m changing my life to a better way.” He also knows recovery requires honesty. “Any second, any moment, any thought, any word can maybe overtake my emotions that I could have a relapse,” he says. That awareness keeps him cautious and reminds him that recovery is something he will need to continue choosing. What keeps him moving forward is self-love and the desire to help others. “Nobody’s gonna love me the way I love myself,” Armando says. “You can’t do it alone,” he says. “If I try to, I know that it’s not going to work. I need help continuing this to the rest of my life.” For Armando, Gospel Rescue Mission has become part of that support system. He is grateful for the advocates, coaches, and especially the peers who walk alongside him through recovery.
