02-26-2023 Harford Magazine - Flipbook - Page 13
“I was well-rounded, played sports and had a
solid home environment and plenty of friends,”
he said. “But I felt a degree of inadequacy,
self-doubt and a persistent sense that I didn’t
measure up. At a party in the basement of a
classmate’s house, like others, I took a drink of
Jack Daniel’s [whiskey] and smoked pot.”
He remembers the feeling: “It was like my
skin shifted 1/4 of an inch, and fit better,” he
said. “The voice in my head that said I’m not
good enough went silent.”
For seven years, Denstman’s world unraveled.
“Everything in my life moved off-course,”
he said. “Lying became second nature. I stole
money from my parents. It wasn’t about what
alcohol and drugs did to me, but what they did
for me.”
At 18, riddled with despair, he attempted
suicide. After getting drunk in his family’s home,
Denstman said, “I took every pill I could find
in the house and went to bed, expecting that I
would not wake up. But I did and was violently
ill, which filled me with more self-loathing: I
couldn’t even commit suicide right.”
He bottomed out, owned up to his parents,
sought treatment at Ashley — twice — and has
been sober since March 2, 2003. Married and
the father of two, he finished college, earned an
Alex Denstman said he is eager to share his story of addiction and recovery as part of Ashley’s
forthcoming educational program.
M.B.A., and is passionate about sharing his story
as part of the addiction center’s forthcoming
educational program.
“I don’t want anyone to feel like I did at 18,
so hopeless and helpless,” said Denstman. “It’s
Th
Thanks
for voting us
Best Garden Center
for 8 years!
unfair to ‘just say no’ to kids; by 15, half of them
will have tried alcohol. We say, ‘I trust you to
make your own decision, if you are armed with
knowledge and facts.’ “
Get your lawn &
garden spring ready!
Soil Sample | Lime Seed | Fertilizer | Mulch | Plants & More
Seeds Are In-Stock
& Plants Arriving
Weekly!
Save Time,
Shop Online
Home Delivery
We also have starter
trays,
tools
& soils.
Curbside Pick-Up & Delivery
Your one stop shop for lawn, garden, pet, home & farm.
Bel Air | Black Horse | Hampstead | Hereford | Kingstown | Red Lion, PA | Whiteford
1-866-THE-MILL • www.themillstores.com
harfordmagazine.com | Spring 2023 |
13