Tony tells people all the time—  you know you’re going to have a problem with addiction when you can remember the date, day and year you had your first drink. October 1st, 1975 was the first time Tony had a drink. He was 12 years old.  By the time he was in his early teens, alcohol and drugs played a major part in his life, so much so that it caused dysfunction within his family.  He kept his addiction hidden from his family  and would disappear for months, leaving his mother to wonder if he was alive or dead. Eventually his substance abuse caught up to him leading to multiple arrests and in a state of mind where he felt incredibly lonely and isolated. The disease had him right where it wanted him but an assist from his mother, who paid for treatment, changed Tony’s life completely. With her help, Tony went into treatment on November 2nd, 1992. He hasn’t touched alcohol or drugs since that date.