Many people do not know that the disease of addiction does not discriminate. Addiction can affect anyone from any background. This brave former police officer tells his story with the permission of the Sheriff’s department to share his story with WGBH News.
Former police Lieutenant Thomas Foye had more than 26 years with the Ludlow police department in Massachusetts. He says that a surgery to correct a shoulder injury is what triggered his addiction to prescription painkillers. It was then that his life changed and he was eventually arrested for drug use.
Foye says that he was “caught red handed with drugs,” after a video feed surfaced of the former officer taking cocaine and prescription drugs from an evidence room located at the Ludlow police department. He was sentenced to two years in jail following his arrest.
In his interview with WGBH Foye says that, “the life that I lived was full of accomplishments, it was full of family…the good things in life that one would think would immunize you from becoming a drug addict.” He laments that he never thought that he would be “susceptible to [this] kind of disease.”
Foye now shares his story with family members, peers, relatives and in public forums. His courageous efforts to speak out about his disease allows for others to know and understand that addiction can affect anyone.
At New Directions for Women we help women, women with children, and pregnant women find sustainable lifelong recovery. We applaud Foye for sharing his story to show that the disease of addiction does not discriminate.
New Directions for Women is a treatment facility located in California that offers help for alcohol dependency to women of all ages, pregnant women in any trimester, and women with children. Founded in 1977, our courageous and visionary founders asked for the help of Newport Beach Junior League members to fulfill their vision of a tranquil home-like facility that would treat women with dignity and respect. Our caring admissions counselors are available 24/7 to take your call and answer any questions you may have on getting help. Reach us by phone at 800-93-WOMEN. We can help. Stay in the loop with New Directions for Women by connecting with us on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.