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The Face of Addiction
Joe Finley

Recovering addict Timothy Maxam of Macedonia is using the struggles he’s endured to help others in need.

“The message I try to get across is, I was the one sitting in the chair, listening to a guy like me, saying ‘that’s not gonna be me.’ And you just don’t know.”

Maxam founded the Narcotics Anonymous support group We Are the Face of Addiction in the Nordonia Hills area of northeast Ohio. The group meets monthly at Nordonia High School and aims to help other addicts find a path to recovery. The group also provides an outlet for those who have loved ones struggling with addiction, or may have lost someone to addiction.

As a recovering addict, Maxam is familiar with the obstacles that addicts face.

“The message I try to get across is, I was the one sitting in the chair, listening to a guy like me, saying ‘that’s not gonna be me.’ And you just don’t know. You need to be open-minded enough to think, ‘this could be you,'” he says.

After multiple run-ins with the criminal justice system, relapses, losing visitation rights with his children and losing nearly everything he owned, Maxam decided it was time to make a change, before it was too late.

In 2016, he again entered treatment, but with a renewed commitment and a positive outlook, he finally remained sober. Approaching his one-year sobriety mark, he found his purpose by reaching out to other addicts who are suffering as he once did.

Maxam hopes his story and the mistakes he’s made can inspire others to avoid going down the same path. His message to parents of addicts is simple, but powerful.

“A lot of parents I speak to don’t want anyone to know their child is addicted to heroin or opiates. They’re ashamed, they’re embarrassed—but this is when you have to reach out. If you love them, you have to tell someone, you need to get them help. Heroin addiction moves quickly and good intentions won’t bring your child back once they’re gone,” he says.

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