Suwanee man participates in Recovery Rally in New York

Addiction is easy, but recovery rarely is. These are the words of Michael Devine, a Suwanee man who battled addiction for more than 10 years before becoming clean in 1990. Since then, he has been an instrumental leader in addiction recovery and treatment and participated in the ninth annual Recovery Rally in New York City last Saturday, serving as a delegate representing the state.

For Devine, this honor to represent Georgia as one of 51 delegates (all states and Washington, D.C.) in the march across the Brooklyn Bridge culminates a stunning turn of events from the life he once led more than 18 years ago. This rally, organized by the National Council of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and the A&E Network, serves as the kickoff for the Recovery Project and gives those the chance to voice the need for alcohol and drug recovery programs.

"I was joined up there by more than 2,000 of my best friends," Devine said. "It was a very upbeat setting and as I led the way across the Brooklyn Bridge it was amazing to think where I'd come from."

There Devine was joined by people who had been sober ranging from a few months, to one woman's 46 years.

Indeed, he said that it was an honor and very humbling to be there, his first time in the city, in fact. And to commemorate his trip there, Devine took what little free time he had and took a boat tour around the city – a three hour tour, fitting, since he's a big "Gilligan's Island" fan.

But the road to get to where he is was very tough. Devine grew up in California in what he called an abusive and unstable environment. At age 13 he turned to alcohol, but soon moved on to drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine.

"It was a difficult upbringing," he said. "Drugs and alcohol worked well for me."

Things got progressively worse, and at age 25 he thought about taking his own life. For another four years he used and abused these various substances, but the tipping point came when, during a blackout, he broke up with a fiancé. So, Devine entered treatment in an attempt to get her back, but realized after a few weeks just how damaged he was.

March 22, 1990 is the day that Devine cites as the beginning of recovery, and he said that he has not had a drop of alcohol since then. For the first 30 days he was an in-patient, and then went to the treatment center every week for the next few years, during which time he went through the 12-step program.

"I was real erratic and had mood swings all the time; it was horrific," he said. "The most difficult time came when my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer that metastasized to her brain when I was five months sober. Back then I took things very personal."

Since 1991 he has been quite active in drug courts across the state, first as a one-on-one counselor for addicts, and then as a clinical supervisor for the Hall County Drug Court. Now he serves as trainer and presenter for the National Drug Court Institute.

In 1992, Devine met his wife, Kitt, who underwent a recovery program herself, but not because of her own substance abuse, but a family member's.

"People often don't know how much the life of an addict can affect the family," Devine said. "My wife likes to remind me that she was actually in the program a year before I was. And now she serves as DA for the Hall County Drug Court."

In the time since coming clean, Devine has found time to go back to school to receive his degree, and currently finds himself in the Methodist seminary, hoping to begin the process of ordination soon.

The topic of religion was always touchy for Devine. He always considered himself to be Christian through his addiction, but found church to be a little "scary" after becoming sober. He said it took him six or seven years before he could find himself in one again, and had to go to different churches until finding the right now.

"My goal now is if I get ordained to go and emphasize drug treatment programs in the church," he said. "I'm not sure if I want to go into an established one, because they are usually so set in their ways. It keeps looking more and more like I will one day start my own."

One of the most important things over the years for Devine has been the drug courts, because these systems help people in the road to recovery. Over the years, he has been involved in helping to get legislation to pass to get these programs more funding due to their vital need they present to the community.

Going through the process of becoming sober is a tough one. Trust him, he knows from experience. But, the road to recovery is one that an addict should not overlook for their life and the lives of their loved ones.

"It feels hopeless in the middle of addiction. It may seem like there's no way out. But don't give up before the miracle comes. If it happened to me it can happen to anybody. Life is a journey, and a gift," he said.

For more on Michael Devine's story, and to read his daily devotional, visit his site at www.devinelife.org. Information about the Recovery Project can be found at www.therecoveryproject.com.
- www.gwinnettherald.com

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