VIDEO – ANOTHER WINNER’S STORY –
Jan. 12, 2024 – Robert Downing, 32, has tattoos embodying his life’s journey. Despite having a great family and parents, Downing said he felt like he never fit in, no matter where he went. He recalled a particular childhood memory … “When I was about 10, I can remember stealing my dad’s pot … Born and raised in Seymour, Indiana, he’s the youngest of five siblings. He said he started drinking at a very early age and began going to jail at 14.
As a teen, he would steal things from multiple places, from gas stations to schools. Eight months ago, however, he said he got help.
Downing specifically chose Kentucky to get help because people made him feel at home, which he said matters to him in recovery development. He came to the Healing Place in Louisville, where he now works.
“I came here broken and badly mangled, I would say,” Downing said. “They helped me; they pulled me in close, and they showed me that it’s going to be OK.”
New research by addiction treatment specialists at the Freedom Center in Maryland ranks Kentucky as the seventh best state in the U.S. for drug rehabilitation. The data state there are at least 10 substance-abuse rehab facilities per 100,000 people, as well as $57 spent per capita on mental health.
