Daniel's Journey Through Darkness

I grew up in a loving, supportive home on a beautiful farm in Monmouth County, New Jersey. My parents and grandparents had long, happy marriages. I was told to stay away from drugs—they were dangerous, even deadly. But when I was in sixth grade, my older brother offered me marijuana. He wasn’t a scary drug dealer—he was family. I trusted him. I tried it... and I liked it.

That moment shifted everything. I believed my parents had lied—drugs felt fun, not dangerous. Marijuana led to cocaine, and by high school, I was chasing every altered state I could find. At 16, I was a full-blown drug abuser, masking it with a smile, popularity, and good grades. When I got to college on a scholarship, things spiraled fast. I was introduced to OxyContin and developed a $350-a-day habit. I was arrested with 200 pills in my car, but all I could think about was how to get high again.

My addiction consumed me. I stole from my family, sold my mother’s jewelry, manipulated everyone around me, and watched my actions tear my family apart. My sisters were suffering, my parents devastated, and my life was unraveling.

Multiple treatment attempts failed. I relapsed after every one, including on my 21st birthday—where I was introduced to crystal meth by a homeless man in California. That led to heroin. I became homeless, jobless, and completely lost. I cut off my family entirely.

Then came the moment that saved me: My mother tracked me down to a rundown hotel in California. She kicked in the door and found me mid-injection. She didn’t yell. She simply said, “Come on, Danny. We’re going to get you help.”

The next few days were hell. I was psychotic from meth use, committed to a psychiatric hospital, and restrained in a hospital bed. But my mom never left my side. After one week in psych care, I entered my seventh treatment center. Something was different this time—maybe it was the program, maybe it was me. I dove in. I learned to sit with my pain, examine my thoughts, and reclaim my life. I learned tools to cope, to heal, and to live with purpose.

After treatment, we realized the East Coast lacked strong, extended aftercare—so my mother and I built one. Together, we founded what would become CFC Loud N Clear Foundation (now known as HealingUS Communities). It was born from a need for holistic, peer-supported, and affordable long-term recovery options.

I went on to graduate from Rutgers University with a degree in Social Work and Psychology. I’ve dedicated my life to making sure no one feels as hopeless as I once did.

I don’t count the days anymore—I live them. I’m fueled by gratitude, driven by service, and always striving to give others the chance I was given.

Recovery gave me my life back—and I’ll never stop fighting to help others find theirs.

– Daniel Regan