He’s a licensed CSAC-I, a substance abuse counselor and North Carolina Peer Support Specialist. Now Sheehan spends his time speaking at detox centers and 12-step groups throughout Iredell in an effort to help others find their way out of addiction. “Joining a 12-step fellowship and engaging [in] all that life had to offer — that’s freedom, that’s the way out,” Sheehan said. “There’s help out there and there’s no cost. The only thing we want to do is share our experience, strength and hope with you to help you find the life that we found. No catch.”
FINDING FREEDOM Sheehan came to North Carolina as a drug addict with a ninth-grade education. Three years later, he was clean and holding down a stable job. “I found out I was half intelligent,” Sheehan said. “The whole world opened up. All these things I failed at — relationships, education, family — it all just came.” Sheehan earned two associate degrees from Mitchell Community College in 2014 and a bachelor's degree in human services from Gardner-Webb University in 2016.
“Sheehan said he tried a number of things to break addiction over the years, but nothing worked.”
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