MUSKEGON, Mich. — A Muskegon man who found his way out of opioid addiction is dedicating his life to helping others avoid becoming a statistic.
Jeremy Hurt says his addiction to painkillers quickly turned into a fight to live, and it took hitting rock bottom before finding his way out of the vicious cycle.
“I didn’t have any idea how to live without the drugs,” he said.
Hurt said he would take 15,000-milligram doses of Vicodin just to get out of bed and feel normal, and that he wasn’t getting high anymore.
His life revolved around his addiction until a run-in with police helped him find his way out.
“Getting arrested was what saved my life,” Hurt said.
Going to jail gave Hurt a safe place to stay until a spot opened at a state-assisted rehabilitation facility.
Thirteen months into sobriety, Hurt is now focused on sharing his experiences with the world in hopes of helping other people overcome addiction.
A few weeks ago, he made a 30-minute video that tells his story. Since then, the video has been watched thousands of times.
“Part of the problem is we are not talking about it,” Hurt said. “It’s become this taboo subject.”
“When addicts reach that point of desperation to call, something needs to be done right then.”
In addition to starting a public conversation, Hurt is enrolled at Muskegon Community College in hopes of becoming a therapist.
