His world literally came crashing down on May 16, 2003.
Jeff Zacharias hit rock-bottom that day: He was homeless, jobless and strung out on crystal meth. His five-year drug addiction was winning—and then he fell from a balcony in a Rogers Park building that he shouldn't have even been in.
He crashed to the ground, which ultimately proved to be a blessing in so many ways, for so many people, not just himself.
Zacharias landed in the hospital. He was bloody and had broken both of his arms.
"I knew [back then] that I needed to do something different [with my life], but that's when and where it all sort of came together. That's when I realized my life was absurd," Zacharias said.
He had no insurance, no money and was desperate.
A friend stepped in, leading Zacharias to Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI), a non-profit social services agency that serves people of all faiths and all walks of life, including children, families and adults of all ages.
He completed two weeks of detox, and then a 28-day recovery program.
And he hasn't looked back.
Zacharias has since gone back to college, earning a degree in addiction counseling, then a master's degree in social work. He also earned a license to practice counseling/therapy, opened a private practice, and about a year ago bought the New Hope Recovery Center in Lincoln Park.
Zacharias is the New Hope president and clinical director. His partner, Bradd Easton, is the New Hope CEO, focusing on the company's marketing.
"I now get to give back in really amazing ways," said Zacharias who, when interviewed in mid-June, not surprisingly knew exactly how long he's been clean and sober—to the day.
"I understand [New Hope clients] in a different way because I've been where they're at; I know what it feels like. I use that experience with the clients who I work with—to try to motivate them."
Now 46, Zacharias and Easton live together in Lincoln Square, along with Easton's daughter, Jaime, 15, who will be a high school junior in the fall. Zacharias, a Kentucky native, has lived in the Chicago area for about 13 years.
Zacharias and Easton had a civil union June 2, 2011.
"I never would have thought 10, 12 or 15 years ago that this [career path] would be a reality because I was so caught up in that world. My world was all about drugs, partying and the bars; that's all that I knew," Zacharias said. "The universe has taken care of me in really profound ways. And I often tell clients that, if you do the right things, the right things come to you.
"I want to be able to give back, just as people have given back to me; that's where my drive comes from."
And that's why New Hope is, sure, a job, but truly a life mission for Zacharias.
"This does not feel like work, which may sound like a standard answer, but this really does not feel like work to me—and I don't think it's ever felt like work," he said. "It's some place I want to go every day. This is where I'm meant to be, especially getting to help the LGBT community, which is very important to me."
New Hope Recovery Center (2835 N. Sheffield Ave.) in Lincoln Park is an alcohol and drug rehabilitation treatment center. New Hope offers residential treatment, intensive outpatient, aftercare, extended care and DUI services.
The recovery center also has a LGBT-specific addiction treatment program, known as New Hope With Pride, launched this spring. Rainbow flags are ever-present in this program, from the logo to the walls of the offices. New Hope With Pride offers assistance with coming out, grief/loss, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, trauma, anger management, and more.
New Hope Recovery Center offers personalized, holistic treatment for the mind, body and spirit. And it offers multiple levels of care to better equip an individual to create the life they desire, he said. New Hope specializes in emotional, physical and spiritual healing, driven to create an extraordinary life of productive, balanced sober living.
Zacharias is on the job at least five days per week, and about 75 percent of the New Hope staff is LGBT.
"I get from [clients] just as they get from me," he said.
New Hope hosted an opening house on June 20, and had a booth days later at Pride Fest in Lakeview.
Zacharias said working alongside Easton has taken their relationship "to a different level." But they also have made a conscious decision to not talk about work, unless it's a major emergency matter, at home after 6 or 7 p.m., so they don't get burned out on/about the job.
Zacharias also has a private therapy practice that takes up Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and Saturday mornings.
"Ten or 12 years ago, I never thought I'd be in this position [career-wise] or that I would be a parent. I just thought it'd be [worrying] about partying and boys," said Zacharias, who started drinking alcohol at age 12, started using drugs in college and, at about 28, got hooked on meth, which lasted for five years, he said.
"The statistics that I've seen say, about 30 percent of the gay population deals with some form of addiction, be it sex, drugs, alcohol, etc. Addictions have really impacted the [LGBT] community."
To that, he said gay men have a high addiction to meth, and with that is sex. Gay men also have a high addiction rate to alcohol.
Lesbians often are addicted to alcohol and marijuana, he said.
Bisexual men endure battles with stimulants and alcohol, he added, while bisexual females battle alcohol addiction. Transgender individuals often are addicted to street drugs such as heroin, crack cocaine and meth, he said.
New Hope aides about 30 to 50 clients at any one time, more in the summer than, say, Christmas time. Clients range in age from 18 to 70-plus, with the majority ranging from 25 to 40. Gay men are more likely to go for addiction assistance than lesbians, Zacharias said. Same for bisexual men as opposed to bisexual women.
About 50 percent of New Hope clients are LGBT.
"New Hope has been … way more than I expected," Zacharias said. "I have an amazing staff, an amazing support network, etc."
And there have been several success stories already.
Zacharias has, for instance, been working for a few years with a man in his 60s, battling a long addiction to alcohol. "He was about as close to death as anyone I've seen," Zacharias said.
That senior has been sober for three years, and is now the volunteer art therapist for New Hope.
"The difference in this gentleman is really unbelievable," Zacharias said.
Same for Zacharias, and he's proud to lead others onto a new life path.
For more information about the New Hope Recovery Center, go to www.new-hope-recovery.com or call 773-883-3912.
The 24-hour New Hope Recovery phone line is 888-707-4673.
