Hello everyone, my name is Dru Hicks. Some of you already know me from the live videos I do, or through my work with Boca Recovery Center. So here is my story:
My life began in California in the early 70s. I was born into poverty and without a father to speak of. Just my mom and older brother. California is a very vague memory because we moved when I was only 4 years old. Making our way east we stopped in a town in Idaho where my mom met my little brother’s father. He was a drunk and beat my mom almost to death so our time in Idaho wasn’t long.
We fled even further east to Indiana where my grandparents lived. This time in my life I remember little until what I would like to say is the accident happened. My biological mother was in a house getting high and she left us children in the car outside. She parked on a hill. My little brother fumbling around with the gearshift, put this car into neutral and we coasted backwards. My brothers jumped out, but unfortunately for me that wasn’t the case, I was run over and injured severely! CPS got involved and my mother lost custody. Here we go to foster care. Luckily for us we were placed with an amazing family (Jack & Retha Hicks), where we lived for 4 years. Our life seemed to fall into place!
Unfortunately living in foster care, we were up for adoption, and a family took notice to all 3 of us boys. They were very wealthy and had raised their 3 children already. They wanted to do it again! This is the beginning of the worst 3 years of my life! After they adopted us, the very next day the hell began! I tell you all this only because this is a huge catalyst for my drug use. One of the major reasons I used and kept myself stuck for so long! The 2 1/2 years we lived with them I broke 27 bones and was nearly beaten to death. My brothers also suffered the same physical abuse! It was hell to wake up every day. The mother was an absolute monster! We were locked in our rooms for days and fed under a door when and only when she felt like it!
Then the sexual abuse began, but only me for some reason. I never even told my brothers hoping that I was taking the brunt of the abuse! Eventually I spoke up to a 2nd grade teacher and I’ll never forget her to this day! She saved our lives! The authorities were brought in, but unfortunately her wealth allowed her to buy her way out of the consequences. They placed us back with Hicks family where they adopted us for themselves! I went to counselors for all the trauma I went through, but l found “bury it all” worked best for me? At least that’s what I thought. Not until I was around 15 or 16 did it resurface. Turning to drugs seemed to be the right thing I didn’t want to feel. So instead I numbed myself for the next 25 years! I fell in love with cocaine and it wasn’t long before I found the needle! Now my active addiction lasted 25 years and 22 of them were IV drug use!
So, my story has huge gaps in it because I’ve spent 14 1/2 years in the penitentiary stemming from my active addiction with various drug charges or charges, I committed being high. I spent 3 1/2 years in the county jail. So, most my adult life has been spent behind bars and there wasn’t one day behind bars I didn’t get high. I manipulated the prison system into letting me get a job in the hospital where I knew the needles would be! As an addict we will manipulate whoever we have to get what we want, and I wasn’t any different! Once released I believed my fate was to die with a needle in my arm! I let the pain from my childhood ruin the man I always knew I could be! It wasn’t until I took ownership for my part did things change. And wow did my life change!
So, February 26th, 2016 I made that leap into recovery and I haven’t looked back since! My biggest issue now was what to do with my life? I was 42 when I got clean so finding my passion in life came with my voice! I started my recovery group CLEAN AND SOBER THATS WHATS UP! And the world took notice! It got me on the news and opened even more doors for my life! It introduced me to the treatment industry and helping people just like me get to a better place in their life! See my God has a sense of humor. It was only when I put him back in the driver seat did my life take off! Then one day this man (Chris Ferry) hit my inbox and I’ll never forget his words! He said “I’m going to be very transparent Dru.. I want you to work for Boca Recovery Center!” The rest is history!
My whole life I felt sorry for my situation and never wanted to put in the work into changing it all! Recovery gave me everything I was missing! A belief in myself that even an addict like myself could do it! My father got to see me clean for 2 1/2 years before his passing this past June. Hearing him tell me how proud he was of the man I turned out to be meant everything! So, when I say this please listen, I was the worst addict out there and had lost all hope on life. I overdosed 3 times and the last one killed me for 4 minutes until I believe God whispered in my ear, wake up Dru I’m not done with you! He definitely wasn’t! I’m here today because I stopped living my plan and let God’s plan take priority in my life! To say recovery is a miracle is an absolute understatement I’m here today as proof and if I can do it, I promise you you can as well! I love you all so much! You already know…CLEAN AND SOBER THATS WHATS UP!
You can follow Dru here:
https://www.facebook.com/DruHicks226/