Journey to recovery: Charleroi man hopes memoir will help those struggling with addiction
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Joey Pagano, left, and his mother, Cindy Pagano, at a book signing at Harmony House in Washington
Courtesy of Joey Pagano
Joey Pagano of Charleroi is the author of a book, “No Addict Left Behind, It’s a Recovery Medicine State of Mind.” Pagano has dedicated his life to helping people struggling with addition.
Courtesy of Joey Pagano
Joey Pagano, right, appears at a book signing with his brother, Xavier Pagano. Pagano’s latest book, “No Addict Left Behind, It’s a Recovery Medicine State of Mind,” was released this spring.
From a life of drug addiction and crime to social worker and therapist, Joey Pagano is now living a life of recovery.
“I have a burning desire to make a difference in the lives of others,” said Pagano, who serves as project supervisor for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services (SPHS) Centers of Excellence’s substance abuse program – the same program in which he was once enrolled as an addict.
Pagano, 47, recently celebrated 10 years of being drug-free. On June 1, 2013, the Charleroi resident found the strength and courage to beat his heroin and opioid addiction, and now he helps others overcome similar struggles.
He has written a memoir, “No Addict Left Behind: It’s a Recovery Medicine State of Mind,” chronicling his battle with addiction and diving deep into his hard-won recovery.
The book was released on April 25, and Pagano has embarked on a book tour to share his story and to let everyone know that help is available, and there is hope.
His memoir is filled with incredible highs – walking at graduation at PennWest University to receive his master of social work degree – and devastating lows, including overhearing a paramedic call him a “damn junkie” after he overdosed, and realizing the toll his addiction took on his family.
For Pagano, his addiction progressed from pain pills he first took as a teen to heroin, which friends offered him.
At age 20, he was discharged from the U.S. Army with an other than honorable designation, a result of his drug addiction. He was tormented for years by the memory of being dropped off in the middle of I-5 in Seattle, Wash., by his staff sergeant, and hitchhiking 30 miles to the airport.
Pagano’s life hit a low point in 2013 when he robbed a gas station in Charleroi – hoping he would be shot during the robbery – and then purchased drugs with the stolen money. He called his mother and told him he was going to end his life, but instead, he walked into a police station later that night and turned himself in.
The decision changed his life.
“The chief, instead of stigmatizing me, put his arm around me, hugged me, said, ‘It’ll be OK, Joey,’ and he put me in handcuffs and hugged me,” Pagano recalled.
Pagano joined Club Serenity, a Charleroi recovery club, where he became president of the club, and helped launch the first recovery house in the Mon Valley.
In 2017, he was hired by the Center of Excellence at SPHS, where he embraced the chance to help people struggling with addiction.
“Recovery is a lifestyle that gives me a purpose by serving others. It is the way I want to live,” Pagano said in the book.
Pagano, who co-wrote the book with Dr. Scott A. Cook, medical director of SPHS, shares the story of his path to get clean while providing real-life solutions to help addicts and those who love them get clean and find acceptance amid the stigma surrounding drug addiction.
He addresses the stigma of addiction, noting that for many, drug addiction is shameful, something not talked about openly.
He aims to eliminate that stigma and encourages addicts to seek help.
“I want to make a difference at every level,” said Pagano. “I’m in the trenches fighting the disease of addiction, I’m handing out Narcan, I’m talking to people. I think I have earned some respect because I have both the life experience and the education that you need to get the attention of people battling addiction and those in the profession. I’m here to stay, and I want to make a difference at all levels.”
As a recovering addict, Pagano is willing to tell his story of reaching his rock bottom, admitting his need for help and then finding it. He is a motivational speaker, has written three books, is featured in more than 30 podcasts, and, with his wife, Jodie, also a social worker, operates the Traveling Social Workers, providing private therapy, speaking and trainings on the road.
His goal: to let others who struggle with addiction know that being drug-free is not impossible and that it’s worth fighting for.
Pagano has found peace and purpose in his life. He has been happily married since 2018 to Jodie, who he met in recovery, and is the father of two children, Zavier, 18, and Gianna. His role as husband and father is especially important, and Pagano is working to repair his relationship with Zavier – what he calls the “collateral damage” of drug addiction.
He stresses the importance of meeting addicts “where they are” during their recovery journey.
“We don’t give up on anybody. You are helping people by not giving up on them,” said Pagano.
He credits his mother, Cindy Pagano, for remaining steadfastly by his side, while not enabling him.
“My mom learned to not enable me, but loved me from a distance. A lot of people met me where I was, and I ended up recovering on my terms,” said Pagano.
And he treasures his relationship with his stepbrother, Xavier, 11, who was adopted by Pagano’s parents after a paternity test showed that Pagano was not the boy’s brother.
“My stepbrother is the glue who held my family together. I’ve learned a lot from him. I love him so much,” said Pagano.
He said recovery is “not a cookie-cutter process,” and hopes his story will encourage others to get help.
“When I was a kid, I wanted to be a doctor or a fireman; I never told my parents or teachers I wanted to grow up and be a drug addict. Social work is something that chooses you, though, and I’m happy where I am,” he said. “Life is about giving someone your time. It’s about giving people grace, showing love, and being able to listen to their hearts while not judging them. I’m not going to give up on anyone.”