NEW ORLEANS — There's a serious, deadly health crisis. We're not talking about COVID-19, but the addiction epidemic.
At only 27, Brandon Walden is fighting the illness.
“It started, we went to a party. We were drinking. My, friend of mine went downstairs. I went down there with him. I just started doing it and got hooked on it immediately," Walden said.
He was just 17 at the time. Doctors say use meth once, and your brain is imprisoned.
“I'd wake up and instead of smoking a cigarette, I'd smoke meth,” he remembers.
Christmastime marks a year that Brandon has been clean, with a job at a fence building company. What's helping him is the Volunteers of America Peer Support Program.
Alvin Dutruch is Brandon's counselor. He has walked in Brandon's shoes. Now he is working on a master's degree in mental health counseling.
“We can be from so many different demographics, and be worlds apart, but when you share a common denominator, like the struggle of addiction. I tell you what, you become really close, really fast,” Dutruch said.
But Dutruch said the pandemic is making recovery harder for many. There’s the isolation and the lost jobs. Calls to VOA for help are up.
The Louisiana numbers are not good. The relapse rate up to 32%. ODs are at 18%.
“Unfortunately we've lost so many people, friends and people that I work with,” Dutruch said.
“It's definitely making it difficult, because not being able to go out and make as much money," said Walden, who is supplementing his work with cleaning businesses.
But with Alvin's support, Brandon is making it. Addiction not only kills people, but it kills relationships. Now Brandon's sobriety has made being a father to his little girl his priority.
Because of his sobriety, she will now be able to stay with him next summer. When asked if that is part of his motivation to stay in recovery, Walden answered, “Yes ma’am. It is actually.”
“He is doing extremely well and I couldn't be more prouder of him, and the successes, how far he's come to date,” Dutruch said.
“It's great having kids around that love you, and it's good to have people that love you no matter what,” Walden said about his daughter and two nieces.
Volunteers of America is helping people virtually now. If you need help or want to get involved as a volunteer, reach out to Volunteers of America at these phone numbers:
South Shore: 504-539-3075
North Shore: 985-674-0488
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.