INTERVIEW WITH RYAN
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Ryan is an exuberant 23 year old resident of Gemeinschaft. Upon meeting him, his passion for life is greatly exhibited. He was eager to discuss his experiences, his shortcomings, and his hopes for the future.
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Born in Harrisonburg, Virginia and raised in Page County, Ryan’s childhood was marked by family dysfunction and struggle. His biological father was an addict and used drug use as a means of bonding with his son. Ryan’s step-father, who is ex-military, adopted him and helped instill the morals and values he is thankful for today. Along with Ryan’s mother (who has been a source of constant support even in his darkest times) he was raised in a strict but seemingly loving household, despite the hardships.
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Growing up in one of the most prominent methamphetamine jurisdictions made his struggle with addiction that much more difficult. Ryan began abusing drugs at the age of 13; using anything and everything he could get his hands on. However, methamphetamine was his drug of choice. In his most recent incident, he was charged with felony possession last year and violated his probation. This is what lead him to be admitted into the program at Gemeinschaft.
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Of the many struggles Ryan mentioned, one pertained to the loss of many loved ones in his family. He lost his aunt to an overdose, his uncle to suicide, and his grandfather recently in his grandmother's home. All of these familial deaths tempted him to use again.
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Ryan was very open and forthcoming about some of his most trying incidents and notable realizations. In his most recent charge, his mother had called the police on him during one of his episodes. This led to his admittance to Western State Hospital in Staunton, Virginia for a mental health evaluation. During his time there, Ryan was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, which he admits may have been exacerbated by his continued drug use. He stated that one of his most vivid realizations occurred when he was shooting up and strung out for a two-week period, and attempted to come down from the high using painkillers. He overdosed and saw his family’s inevitable horror at his escape from death. Another notable realization occurred when he was released from custody, and the first thing he did when he got out was “buy a bag of dope”. After this incident, he knew something had to change.
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One of the most striking things Ryan said in our interview was that in order to change, the person has to make that change within themselves. When we entered the building for the interview, Ryan was helping a new resident of Gemeinschaft get acquainted with the building and the people. He even offered this individual the opportunity to take some of his clothes if he needed them. He stated that he has been able to see himself at rock bottom, and now wants to see where all of his potential can take him. Ryan was very reflective regarding the disappointment and disrespect he caused his family.
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Ryan is a hopeful and optimistic individual, who has a very distinct plan for the future. He has recently devoted his life to Jesus Christ and is excited about the added strength that his faith gives him. If he does not violate his probation upon release from Gemeinschaft, he will not receive the felony conviction and will instead have first-offender status. With that, he hopes to join the Marine Corps and follow in the footsteps of his father, one of the men he admires most. If he decides that he does not want to make a career out of the military, he would like to use his training to open up a motorcycle and automobile repair shop of his own.