“The cumulative effects of #trauma took a toll, and “ending the pain” became a mantra for him that led to some very dark moments. At a particularly low period in his life, Joe’s wife and children left him, and he was at the brink of suicide.

That moment, thankfully, was a turning point. “This is not how the story is going to end for me,” he told himself, and built a road to #recovery that includes #therapy, support from key friends in his life, and physical and mental fitness. Although there was much lost along the way, Joe has an incredibly inspiring outlook on life.

Today, Joe is a healthy, strong #officer Norristown #Police Department, who is able to apply the lessons he’s learned in life in his career as an SRO (School Resource Officer) at a middle school in Norristown, PA. He’s a mentor to hundreds of kids as he teaches lessons of respect and self-worth.”

Read further from OC87 Recovery Diaries (USA, 2018)