Walk in Blair County to give recovering addicts a voice

HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. (WJAC) -- Zion Lutheran Church Youth Ministry Director Ryan Custead says drug addiction brought about the darkest and loneliest days of his life. Years removed, he said those experiences are still a part of him, but he wants to help others going through the same struggles.

"Sometimes you hear about people who have had experiences with active addiction having childhood trauma,” he said. “That wasn't the case for me."

Custead said he had a happy and fulfilling childhood. He was close with his parents and stayed out of trouble in junior high and high school.

"As I got past high school, it kind of started with that first bad decision,” he said. “I found myself going further and further down the line until it was just like in the blink of an eye, I felt completely alone. You just look out your window and you don't understand how the rest of the world lives life."

He said his addiction damaged his relationships and left him feeling isolated, but those around him couldn't make it stop.

"This is often the case for friends and family members,” Custead said. “They don't know what to do. They want to change things for the person, but they only have a certain amount of power."

At his lowest, Custead said he was tired of the life he was living. He knew he needed to break the cycle and stick with that decision.

"I said to God, 'I don't wanna live like this anymore and I will take anything that I have to do, any direction from anybody that's interested in helping me. I surrender all of it,'" he said.

Family and friends were quick to support Custead in his recovery and keep him accountable. He's involved in the Rise and Recovery program put on by Blair County Drug and Alcohol Partnerships. He said these programs are often anonymous, but this one wants to give those in recovery a voice.

"Whenever there's so much negative narrative playing out about addiction publicly the recovery community I think needs to be able to loudly say, 'We do recover and we live happy and productive lives,'" he said.

In August, the program is holding the first ever Central PA Recovery Walk through the streets of Hollidaysburg. Custead said they want to show the community just how many people are a part of recovery efforts.

"We thought, 'Wouldn't it be really cool if you could get a good representation of the entire community?'” Custead said. “[To] have people in early recover, you have family member, advocates, professionals, just anybody to come together and be visible here in the community."

Custead wants to share the hope for a better life, a life he's now living.

"Part of the reason why I advocate for people in recovery, why I to try to volunteer and give back, is because that is part of my recovery process,” he said. “If I'm doing those things, I'm staying happy, I'm staying healthy, I'm staying whole."

The Central PA Recovery Walk will be held on August 17. Registration begins at 10 a.m. at Legion park in Hollidaysburg. The walk ends with a rally at the courthouse followed by a free lunch at Zion Lutheran Church.

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