Samuel, age 52, shares a brutally honest account of addiction, relapse, and his ongoing struggle with homelessness. Once a successful journeyman carpenter making $32/hour, Samuel walked away from a stable life that included a wife, house, trucks, and career due to crack cocaine. He frames it as a mental health issue: "I've got to be crazy to leave all that for a drug."
His story reflects the chronic cycle of relapse and recovery, mixed with self-awareness, guilt, and resignation. He’s been through prison, recovery programs, and halfway houses, and while he knows the resources exist, he admits that "it's a choice that we make" — one he hasn’t fully chosen to reverse yet.
