Regan Thorp is a senior at Salem High School and an advocate for rehab to fight against drug addiction who has recently celebrated a full year of sobriety. She has spoken publicly about her struggle with drugs and alcohol on many occasions and hopes to spread awareness about this disease that is often misunderstood and forgotten. Days from finishing high school, she reflected on her experiences and how she overcame her illness.

This is her story.

“I was at school and I was so drunk that I was taken to the emergency room for alcohol poisoning. My BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) was a .34 which is dangerously high. I got an MIP (Minor In Possession) and a 5 day suspension. The second or third day I returned to school I was cited for another MIP and DUI (Driving Under the Influence). That was when my Mom decided that rehab was my best option. So I was in a rehab program and going through the motions of AA meetings and probation when I had my relapse on April 28, 2017.” She said she set up a friend with a guy she knew, “and a week later I slept with him. Because of this she almost cut me off. This was when I realized I was still sick because I wasn’t working the 12 steps of AA. I relapsed that night when I had this epiphany. The next day I got a sponsor, and the rest is history.”

Since these events, she has devoted her time and passion to helping kids who are struggling with addiction like she has.

“I’ve been volunteering at Maplegrove since the week I got off probation. I deal with the kids in intense outpatient programs. I teach them the 12 steps of AA. I’ve met kids from age 13-18 and whose drug of choice ranges from marijuana to heroin. They are all at different stages in their lives. Some are there because their parents caught them, others because they are facing felonies and misdemeanors.”

Regan’s story will continue to grow as she transitions out of high school and into the real world.  

“My goal in life is to be a juvenile defense lawyer. And that I will continue to spread the word about addiction because it’s a terrible disease that is extremely misunderstood, people need more empathy. I think no matter what stage of recovery these kids are in, they will always remember what I’ve taught them. It won’t hurt you to do the steps, in fact if you give it your all you’ll be happier. Addiction is a disease, it is misunderstood and hard to overcome. But you can do it, if you choose to.”