Saturday, Winchester resident Dwayne Mullins was vulnerable enough to share his own story with hopes of helping others.

Mullins is in recovery for drug addiction and talked at the inaugural SPARK in Clark rally in downtown Winchester about his journey and how he hopes to inspire others.

Mullins said he started smoking marijuana when he was just 9 years old. By 14, he had been introduced to painkillers. At 16, he quit school. By 30, he had been arrested on a felony charge and spent 31 months in prison.

When he got out in September 2010, he was clean and sober. But losing his mother shortly after sent Mullins back to drugs.

“I hated who I was,” he shared at the rally Saturday. “I didn’t want to deal with myself no more.”

So, he prayed he would die in his sleep. Eventually, he started asking God to help him get off drugs, whatever He had to do.

In 2013, he was arrested again and says it was an answered prayer.

Mullins has now been in recovery for five years and shares his story to help others.

His story reflects what many struggling with addiction deal with, and may spark change in others’ lives. Sometimes, it just takes knowing that others have been where you are and risen out of their circumstances to inspire change.

If someone heard or read Mullins’ story, it may be the wake-up call they needed. Perhaps it gave some peace to loved ones of others struggling with addiction. Or maybe it shed some light and understanding to those who have not been directly affected by the drug crisis in our community.

We hear often that the drug epidemic is plaguing our community and our society. It can become difficult to ever see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Stories like Mullins’ offer a glimpse of hope at a time when many can begin to feel hopeless.

Without initiatives like SPARK, those stories of hope and opportunity after addiction may never be shared.

It takes a lot of bravery to share a story like Mullins’, but we hope others will be inspired by his experiences and his success.

 

Editorials represent the opinion of the newspaper’s editorial board. The board is comprised of publisher Michael Caldwell and managing editor Whitney Leggett. To inquire about a meeting with the board, contact Caldwell at 759-0095.