Interview Summary: Mario S.

Learning Quotes from Mario

“It’s more to life than drugs. You just got to believe in yourself and stick to it.”

“You got to face it to fix it — it’s all in the mind. You can’t heal what you keep hiding from.”

“People judge what they don’t understand. I’m not what I’ve done — I’m what I choose to do next.”

“You can’t help nobody if your mind ain’t right. Recovery starts up here.”

“A better you is a better us.”

Conversation Overview

Born and raised in Milwaukee’s Hillside neighborhood, Mario grew up surrounded by both structure and struggle. After graduating from Advent High School, he attended Central State University in Ohio, majoring in sociology, and later joined the Army to find direction and discipline. His love of culture, people, and history shaped his early dreams — but in his twenties, life took a turn.

What began as curiosity at a friend’s house became dependency. He started using Percocet in his mid-twenties and quickly found himself in a cycle of use that lasted for years. His turning point came one day in a McDonald’s parking lot — after taking a pill from the street, he woke up an hour later, realizing he could have lost his life. That moment changed everything.

Since then, Mario has been reclaiming control — seeking treatment through CleanSlate, maintaining recovery with Suboxone, and openly acknowledging his ongoing journey with cocaine. Through it all, he’s remained grounded in reflection, spirituality, and community care. As a personal care worker, he channels compassion into his daily life, proving that self-awareness and faith can drive healing.

Key Learnings

• Recovery starts in the mind. The hardest battles are internal — healing begins with willpower, consistency, and belief.

• Judgment isolates. Fear of stigma keeps many from getting help; compassion opens the door to recovery.

• Environment shapes outcome. Changing surroundings and relationships is key to staying grounded in sobriety.

• Peer support matters. Having someone walk beside you — not above you — strengthens recovery.

• Healing is ongoing. For Mario, recovery isn’t perfection; it’s persistence, honesty, and daily accountability.

Insight for Systems Change

Mario’s journey reveals how easily isolation and stigma can stall recovery — and how access, trust, and consistent relationships can reignite it. His story reminds us that treatment systems must do more than offer programs; they must create safe, judgment-free spaces where people can be honest about where they are, not just where they’re supposed to be.

Through FOCUS, Milwaukee County continues to learn from voices like Mario’s — voices that remind us that healing is human work, built on empathy, environment, and the courage to keep trying.