Former Patriots player shares his opioid addiction story in Portsmouth

In Portsmouth a former New England Patriot and Super Bowl champion shared his story of rising to the top and then losing it all to drug addiction. People shared their personal stories of addiction. Some expressed themselves through music, while other cut right to the point. “I am an alcoholic and drug addict. I need to remember where I came from and I need to remain grateful for where I am today,” former Patriots defensive lineman Chris Sullivan said.People who have experienced drug and alcohol addiction told their experiences at “Sharing Hope: Stories of Recovery,” an event put on by Realtors for Recovery in Portsmouth to raise money for nonprofits in the area.“I started buying pain pills in 2001, I was released by the Steelers, I was getting a big paycheck to sit at home on my couch, $200,000 every two weeks,” Sullivan said.Sullivan admitted not feeling comfortable with public speaking but said he wants to give back and reduce the stigma of addiction.“I never thought someone like me would struggle with addiction, I had the stigma in my head and I didn’t picture me, a college graduate in the NFL, and it was the hardest thing I ever did,” Sullivan said. The former NFL player made an impact by sharing his story.“I’m a die-hard Patriots fan, we have this perception that people like him or other people are immune to this and especially him coming up, sharing his story, telling what happened, but he overcame it. I think it’s very important,” said Patrick Cronin from the Northeast Addictions Treatment Center.Realtors for Recovery is hoping to raise $10,000 for four different facilities.Information for how to donate can be found here.