Former NJ cop and marine reaches his hand out to help others walking the same road he did
Editor's note: The Asbury Park Press is celebrating 31 days of kindness this month, highlighting New Jersey people and organizations that have inspired us throughout 2023.
Brian Gillespie understands service to others.
He was a Marine and a Manasquan police officer. But today, the Brielle resident serves as a treatment advocate to help his former comrades overcome drug and alcohol addiction.
“Everything I’ve done is to help other people, but at the same time, I’m helping myself,” Gillespie told Asbury Park Press reporter Jerry Carino in November. “It’s important for those who are struggling that there is someone who can help, someone who has been there and done that.”
He has been there.
He started his road to alcohol addiction recovery in 2015, so after military service and two decades as a police officer, he went to work for RESCU, a program that helps active military members, veterans, first responders and correctional officers overcome addiction. RESCU is an arm of Recovery Centers of America at Raritan Bay.
It's a critical job.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse:
More than one in 10 veterans have been diagnosed with a substance use disorder.
Veterans are more likely than non-veterans to use alcohol and to report heavy use of alcohol.
More than 9% of veterans reported that they experience severe pain, compared with only 6.4% of non-veterans.
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This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Former marine from New Jersey helping comrades facing addiction
