For any addict, the road to recovery can be difficult. For Norm Zent, it was nearly 20 years in the making.

Fortunately, thanks to efforts by local organizations like the Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS), Zent found the support and programs he needed to overcome his drug addiction.

Growing up, Zent never imagined he could become a drug addict. His life was good. His family supported him and he did well in school. He enjoyed social drinking as a teenager, but he believes it was more than alcohol that led to his battle with substance use.

“I had an injury in high school playing football and ended up on a lot of pain medicine,” Zent says. The experience with prescription medicine led him to experiment with harder drugs, including benzodiazepines, cocaine and heroin.

“I honestly knew I was addicted at some level by the time I was 17 or 18, but I believed I could handle it,” Zent says. For the next 20 years, he struggled with substance use addiction, leading to stints in and out of rehab and run-ins with the law.

By 2014, Zent was ready to make a change.

“I was still on drugs, but I knew I didn’t want to be anymore,” Zent says. “I was hopeless and helpless out on the streets. I needed to stop.”

With the help of connections in the community and local resources, including Alcoholics Anonymous, the Joshua Recovery Ministries and other ADAMHS-supported programs, Zent made the commitment to beat addiction.

“Anyone suffering from addiction is much more likely to find lasting, significant recovery if they have access to the right programs and support systems,” says Ann Stevens, spokesperson for ADAMHS. “ADAMHS has invested millions of dollars into our community to help provide these critical services.”

Relying on his faith, determination and community programs, Zent finally was able to overcome the addiction that had tormented him for almost two decades.

"Recovery is a gift. It can be accepted or rejected."

Clean and sober since May 8, 2014, Zent is proud of the life he has forged in Dayton. He continues to be active in the recovery community, working as a caseworker at Joshua Recovery Ministries. “Recovery is a gift. It can be accepted or rejected. I look back at all the times I rejected it, but it’s that simple,” Zent says.

“People need to know there are people that care and can help right now,” Stevens says. “The resources are in place for anyone in Montgomery County to get the help they need.”

ADAMHS delivers valuable community resources to those suffering from drug addiction and supports programs that are making a difference in the fight against addiction, including peer support, recovery housing, spiritual support and naloxone training.

If you or a loved one is suffering from addiction, call Samaritan CrisisCare at (937) 224-4646 or visit www.thinkagainmc.org today. Same-day assistance and emergency services are available. To contact ADAMHS with questions, please call (937) 443-0416.