One Day at a Time: In Recovery in Baltimore

I Did The Drugs, The Drugs Did Me: Mike's Story

By Aaron Henkin

Published May 17, 2021 at 2:16 PM EDT

Mike sits on the front stoop with Theo Hill and Theo's granddaughter, Miracle. Credit: Aaron Henkin/WYPR

When Mike got out of the Army, it was at the height of the US cocaine epidemic. He was already abusing other drugs and alcohol, but when he started shooting cocaine, he lost control of his life. Mike lost his marriage, his job, and kids, and his home, and he ended up of the streets of Baltimore. Mike joins Theo to talk about his long road to recovery, his lessons learned, and his 31 years clean.

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Aaron Henkin

Aaron creates and produces original radio programs and podcasts for WYPR. His current project is The Maryland Curiosity Bureau. Aaron's neighborhood documentary series, Out of the Blocks, earned the 2018 national Edward R Murrow Award. His past work includes the long-running weekly cultural program, The Signal, and the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings series, Tapestry of the Times. Aaron's stories have aired nationally on NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

See stories by Aaron Henkin