Richard got involved in alcohol and drugs early in life. Even though everything looked fine on the outside, he was being torn apart on the inside. He met a girl who came from a Christian family. He would ask her questions about God. One night, while watching tv he came across a preacher who seemed to be talking right to him.

Veronica was rejected by her biological father. He lived only an hour away but had no desire to be a part of her life. Not only did she feel that rejection, Veronica also grew up without the love and protection that her dad was supposed to provide. With alcohol in the home, she needed that protection… but instead she had to hide away in fear. But it would not always be this way.

“Anybody can be an alcoholic. That’s easy… all you got to do is pick up the alcohol and start drinking… and eventually you’ll become an alcoholic… because you allow that to take over and consume your life. Anybody can be a drug addict. Anybody can be a prostitute or a drug dealer or this or that. That’s all the easy parts. The hard part is not doing it.”

Jeff was paying a great price for his drinking. His family had left him and he was all alone. She wouldn’t have anything to do with him. It didn’t matter how he tried to connect with her, she wouldn’t acknowledge him. Not having that communication hurt him more than anything. But it got his attention. Finally, he cried out for help… and everything changed.

Jeff, a Cayuga from Six Nations, grew up off the rez in Buffalo, New York. He started partying at an early age and he worked to support his drinking habit. His team’s success in lacrosse gave cause to celebrate often, and even when everyone else went home, for Jeff, the party never ended. He found out though, that not only does drinking ruin relationships, it ruins families.

Alcohol had taken Hugh… it had taken everything from him like it does to so many others. But something happened in his life that made all the difference, and now he has been clean and sober for over 27 years. Listen as Hugh shares the rest of his story.