Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 1528

Tonight's special guest is Charles Greene from Sicklerville, New Jersey, author of the book "My Journey: Life after Addiction - The Lazarus Man." He grew up in a dysfunctional family, filled with anger, rage and violence. His father, a drug addict and alcoholic, was completely unpredictable. Charles describes his angry, violent father as "a man at war with the world and himself." He further explains, "Our lives were a paradoxical existence. One moment he was a calm, creative and artistic chef, preparing gourmet meals that fully satisfied our bellies and the next he was raising hell and creating an atmosphere of paralyzing fear with his violent, unpredictable behavior, which consisted of screaming, yelling, cursing and slamming doors. We lived in fear. I feared that one day, he’d kill me." It got worse in his teenage years. "My dad made it a habit of introducing me to his girlfriends. He continually involved me in his adulterous relationships." He goes on, "When I left home for college, and was set free from the prison of my home life, I rebelled spiritually, physically and emotionally." But addictions brought him to his knees, and it was in the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous where Charles tells me God completed the transformation in his life. "Clarity came to me. The purpose for my life became evident," Charles says. In recovery, he began to work with others. "Working with individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders has provided me with the opportunity to help those who traveled the road I once traveled."