Evan Carver spent 10 years addicted to opioids, in particular fentanyl, and five years homeless on the streets of San Francisco.”It was so miserable being that miserable,” Carver said of his time as an addict living on the streets. “If I had always been a functioning addict, I don’t know if I would have ever quit.”This story was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.In April, Carver checked into Salvation Army’s Harbor Light rehab center. Over the six-month-long program, he found healing through meditation and reconnected with his family, including a son he hadn’t seen in eight years. “He thought I was dead and that my mom and my sister were lying to him about me being alive because there was no way that I would not be there for him,” Carver said about his absence in his son’s life. “Hearing that might be the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever had anybody tell me.”Throughout his struggle with addiction, Evan was surrounded by family and friends urging him to seek help. But even with that support, Evan struggled to maintain sobriety. “I would have these little bits of clean time, a couple of months, two, three months, maybe six months. Then go back out,” Carver said.He eventually ended up in Northern California and called the streets of San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood home. “It was like an adult playground at that point if you’re an addict,” Carver said of the city when he first arrived. “One of the biggest reasons that made me last so long as an addict was all the help that I was kind of given to stay an addict.”His addiction led to several health complications. Earlier this year, for the second time, Carver developed a blood clot and a staph infection in his leg. He was hospitalized and then transferred directly to Harbor Light.In October, for the first and hopefully last time, he graduated from a rehab program. His mom, sister and son were all there to celebrate the accomplishment.Carver is now living at the Salvation Army’s Joseph McFee Center, a two-year recovery housing program that offers supportive services and workforce training. “My long-term goals list is really to, I mean, there’s obviously being sober. I’m really starting to understand when they say you have to put that first before everything. But besides that, I think I want to just have this reestablished, great connection with my family and son that I hadn’t had even before I was using.” See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SAN FRANCISCO —
Evan Carver spent 10 years addicted to opioids, in particular fentanyl, and five years homeless on the streets of San Francisco.
“It was so miserable being that miserable,” Carver said of his time as an addict living on the streets. “If I had always been a functioning addict, I don’t know if I would have ever quit.”
This story was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
In April, Carver checked into Salvation Army’s Harbor Light rehab center. Over the six-month-long program, he found healing through meditation and reconnected with his family, including a son he hadn’t seen in eight years.
“He thought I was dead and that my mom and my sister were lying to him about me being alive because there was no way that I would not be there for him,” Carver said about his absence in his son’s life. “Hearing that might be the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever had anybody tell me.”
Throughout his struggle with addiction, Evan was surrounded by family and friends urging him to seek help. But even with that support, Evan struggled to maintain sobriety.
“I would have these little bits of clean time, a couple of months, two, three months, maybe six months. Then go back out,” Carver said.
He eventually ended up in Northern California and called the streets of San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood home.
“It was like an adult playground at that point if you’re an addict,” Carver said of the city when he first arrived. “One of the biggest reasons that made me last so long as an addict was all the help that I was kind of given to stay an addict.”
His addiction led to several health complications. Earlier this year, for the second time, Carver developed a blood clot and a staph infection in his leg. He was hospitalized and then transferred directly to Harbor Light.
In October, for the first and hopefully last time, he graduated from a rehab program. His mom, sister and son were all there to celebrate the accomplishment.
Carver is now living at the Salvation Army’s Joseph McFee Center, a two-year recovery housing program that offers supportive services and workforce training.
“My long-term goals list is really to, I mean, there’s obviously being sober. I’m really starting to understand when they say you have to put that first before everything. But besides that, I think I want to just have this reestablished, great connection with my family and son that I hadn’t had even before I was using.”
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel