Merryville man shares his story on recovering from drug addiction

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - Addiction is a tough battle. One Merryville man now in recovery wants to tell others it’s possible to overcome.

Those who’ve battled addiction, like Jeremy Franks said it can spill into your life and quickly take over.

“I started getting angry and abusive,” Franks said. “I didn’t know what was causing the issue. I had no idea.”

Franks said he was in a car wreck in 2014, resulting in back and neck pain. In 2021, he was prescribed pain medication, but it grew into an addiction.

His drug use caused a strain on his relationships leaving him without custody of his children.

“I was losing control of everything,” he said.

Franks said he went to an outpatient recovery clinic for about 3 months and is clean now, hoping to piece his life back together.

He wants others to know they are not alone in their fight.

“You can beat addiction because if I can, you can too,” he said.

Often getting guidance from those who’ve been in your shoes is most helpful.

“Employees here that actually have lived that lifestyle and they’ve decided to come clean with their addiction problem and they’re actually on the other side of the fence trying to help people,” Dr. Jon Gray said.

Gray is an emergency medicine physician at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital. He said those employees are called substance use navigators and part of the Louisiana Bridge Program, partnering with local hospitals, they work with patients battling addiction.

“Addiction is a very complicated disease process and it’s a real disease,” he said. “So, we’ve changed our outlook into that aspect that you should not be ashamed of it. We’re here to help you and happy to help you get into some treatment program.”

“Addiction is a sickness, but you also can beat it like I did,” Franks said.

For more on the Louisiana Bridge Program, CLICK HERE.

Imperial Calcasieu Human Service Authority: 337-475-3100.

You can request free Narcan at 337-930-2286.

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