– Salvation Army councillor shares his story of overcoming drug addiction

“I SPENT three years on the streets of Georgetown” are not the typical words you’d expect to hear from anyone. However, these are just the opening lines of 51-year-old Eric Cummings’ story of how he overcame his battle against substance abuse.

In an interview with the Sunday Chronicle, Cummings, who is a now a residential councillor at the Salvation Army, recollected his childhood and how safe and loved he felt.
He migrated to the United States with his mother at just 19 years old and although everything was going well for him, his life changed when he learned of his father’s passing.
The 51-year-old man said that his mood swings caused his connection with his mother to dissolve, plunging him into a deep depression.

Having no one to turn to at such a tender age, Cummings said that someone who posed as a parental figure came into his life but instead of piloting him, they misled him. And at the age of 25, a life of substance abuse started.

After approximately six attempts, Cummings managed to kick his addiction. With life seeming to be back on track, he started a relationship. But it ended after six years, and he returned to his old habits.

According to him, at that time, he was unable to handle the flood of emotions that took over.
As the word “destroy” continued to echo throughout his mind and him having no clue how to cope, Cummings said he went back to the only way he knew how to live. And that was by using drugs.

Looking back at his decision and the way he succumbed to the life he tried to escape from, the father said: “It was a big mistake. I should’ve found some other way to deal with my problems but all I knew was that [using drugs].”

He spent three years roaming the streets of Georgetown in search of ways to fund his addiction.
“I struggled with where I was. I wanted help,” Cummings said as he recalled his strenuous battle with addiction.

While his family wanted to help him, they were frustrated with the endless cycle. However, one day, his aunt, June Ann-Taylor, reached out to the rest of his relatives, in order to come together and send him to the rehabilitation centre at the Salvation Army.

HAPPINESS

Asserting that it is never too late, Cummings, who was 46 at the time, overcame his addiction and changed his life.
“Well one of the things that made a difference with this particular treatment is that I knew what it was like to live a life of sanity,” Cummings said as he underscored what it was like to have something and then lose it all in the blink of an eye.

Tired of how his life was and how badly his addiction consumed him, Cummings said he was happy that his family decided to help him despite it seeming to be hopeless.
“I was living really terrible, sleeping on the pavement and eating out of the garbage. So, when the offer came, I was already ready,” he told this newspaper.

After six months of treatment and the will to win the fight, Cummings said that he returned to his normal self.
Now that he was on the right path, he made the decision to look for employment. However, he said that he felt out of place in the call centre where he was working.
According to Cummings, he pursued two social work courses at the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) after deciding to complete his studies.

He was ecstatic about all of his achievements and claimed that meeting Yonette John and being a father had bettered his life.
Moreover, he applauded President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s move to roll out a special programme in 2024to directly tackle social issues.

Seeing the need to clamp down on issues such as drug use in schools, Cummings stated that it is essential that youths understand the realistic nature of substance abuse and he hopes he can share his story with all.