Finding Balance: Eugene King’s Reentry Success Story

Growing up in Georgia in the early 1960s, Eugene King’s formative years were filled with violence and injustice. He watched as civil rights activists were attacked by police dogs. Jim Crow laws stained his reality as family members were arrested and jailed for insisting on their personal rights.

The struggles of growing up in such an environment, combined with the trauma he witnessed, set the stage for decades to come. For nearly 20 years, Eugene cycled in and out of the justice system, struggling with homelessness, substance use, and anger management issues. “I didn’t have any roots, neither did I have any balance,” he says.

One sweltering summer day, Eugene decided he’d had enough. “[I made a vow on] July 10, 2010, to never ever again find myself sitting in a hot, humid prison,” he says. Eugene realized that to stay out of incarceration, he needed to address the root causes of his problems. While Eugene had come to The Fortune Society before—once back in 1967 and again in 2005—he had not been in the right mindset to fully benefit from our services.

This time, things were different. After his release from prison, Eugene connected with the Better Living Center (BLC), our outpatient mental health clinic specifically suited for individuals with justice involvement. There, he finally found clarity and focus.

“I was able to communicate with all the people involved — my therapist, my psychiatrist. They understood me, and I understood them. They gave me diagnoses, advice, and we talked. We kept the dialogue going…”

 

After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, Eugene began to delve into his past. “I was able to recognize that my mental health issues were a result of my upbringing,” he says. Therapy helped him reconcile his childhood trauma and identify new ways to reframe his reality. With the help of BLC staff, Eugene learned about helpful medications and began to practice mindfulness.

“I tell people that mindfulness is stepping into a room and seeing cars go by, and those cars are your thoughts. You decide which car you want to get in and you decide where’s it going,” he explains. “Things have a tendency to happen. I’ve come to find it’s how you deal with [them].”

 

In making this transformation, Eugene has drawn strength from great leaders and thinkers. He cites Nelson Mandala and Frederick Douglass as inspirations. He has also memorized William Henley’s poem, “Inviticus,” and lives by the words within—particularly the last stanza:

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

 

Eugene thanks Fortune for giving him the strength and support to gain control of his fate. He now feels emotionally balanced and has maintained sobriety for over 5 years. “I realized I’m far away from that lifestyle [of substance use]. And the difference between me now and then is night and day,” he says. “I’m living an ordered, focused, and purposeful life. And part of my story has to do with being here [at Fortune].”

Now, he freely shares his experiences, in the hope that his words will help others. “As long as I have breath in me,” he says, “that’s my way of giving back. That’s my commitment. Because Fortune saved my life.”

 

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*Article by Carmen Rojas

CATEGORIES:

• Mental Health,
• Participant Stories,

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• Participant Stories,

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