The scent of alcohol and a night of regrets lingered in the room.
Passed out in the middle of a living room floor, bile rose in his mouth reminding him of the night before. He woke up; his eyes traced the trail of white, odorless, powder.
Dennis Cox was forgetful. He was irresponsible. He was overcome by an addiction that was ruining his life. “I was basically living in a room with three other guys and my car was sitting on the side of the road, broken down and totaled,” Cox said.
Five years have passed, and Cox is constantly reminded of his old self. Five years ago was the last time Cox used a drug.
“Sept. 20 of 2012 was the last day I ever took a drug in my system,” he said. “I smile everyday. Now I have a brand new car and a house that I own, which I couldn’t have done if I didn’t stop doing drugs.”
Cox is a 50-year-old from Oakland, California. “I may have been born in California, but I got to Texas as fast as I could,” Cox said.
He moved to Austin to live with his grandparents when he was 15. After graduating from William B. Travis High School, he attended the Roffler School of Hair Design, a barber college. He has been doing hair for 24 years, and still loves it.
When Cox turned 30, he tried his first drug.
“I’ve tried it all, and meth was my Achilles heel,” Cox said.
The first time he decided he needed to get clean was after he went to prison in 2003 for driving under the influence. He lost his dream job of pursuing hair, and most importantly, he lost the love of his mother.
Between 2003 and 2011, Cox had stayed clean and relapsed. In 2011, he tried to stop again by going to Austin Recovery.
“It’s a beast battling a drug addiction,” Cox said, “Not only for the one’s that are addicted, but for the ones who love them as well.”
After another 8-month relapse, Cox finally had enough.
“I finally said 5 years ago, ‘that’s enough’.”
Austin Recovery was the cheapest option for Cox. They provide affordable addiction treatment services to those in need. They follow a 12-Step model that is delivered in a loving and supportive environment. Cox attended their Short-Term residential treatment program that lasts 30 days.
“The thing that kept me sober was coming to my alumni group, which is the people I graduate from Austin Recovery with,” Cox said. The support system that comes with the recovery center is something Cox does not take for granted.
Part of the Austin Recovery program, is giving back to the community. Once Cox graduated from the program, he decided to let his love of hair back into his life.
“One of the things they teach you is service work, and me by volunteering here by doing haircuts, it was my way of giving back to the community.”
In 2014, Austin Recovery hired Cox. He has been giving back his time and what he has learned to try and help others heal.
With a stable job, Cox decided to open up his own salon, on the side, to pursue his love of hair.
Dell Knop, a fiery and quirky red head, has been getting her hair done by Cox for many years.
“Dell is one of my clients that has stuck through my drug addiction and everything,” Cox said. “She has been with me for 10 years now.”
The two have a chemistry that shows the extent of their friendship.
“She left for a little while because I got high one day and turned her hair pink,” Cox said while trying to hold in his laughter.
Knop smiled warmly. “I gave him another chance because I just adored him. I would still come in, even with my kids,” Knop said. “I just wouldn’t let him color my hair.”
Knop has been bringing her two sons to get their hair cut by Cox since they were young children. “My kids have always just adored him and they won’t go to anybody else.”
Knop, a former addict, understands everything that Cox has been through.
“The good thing is she sees the difference in me, and we can laugh about that stuff now,” said Cox.
On the side, he continues to give free haircuts to people in recovery at Austin Recovery.
“These people come in here with nothing. They probably haven’t had their hair cut in months,” Cox said. “They don’t look good and they don’t feel good about themselves, so we give them a good haircut and they feel regenerated.”
Along with his service work, Cox wants to help others heal from their addictions.
“I like to teach people that you don’t have to live that way anymore,” Cox said. “You can live an honest life and still have success and be happy.”
Cary Lewis, an Austin Recovery counselor and client, is a role model to Cox. The two hugged fiercely and joked around with one another.
“I am a counselor. I came in as a client as well, worked my way up and went back to school. I love helping others, just like Dennis,” Lewis said. “He is doing an amazing job. I am very proud of him.”
The relationships that Cox has gained back after recovering from his addiction have made him a better person. He is grateful for their support, but he also gives thanks to a higher power.
“I’m not a bad person. As long as I give myself to a higher power, whatever it may be, whether it is God or a fence post, there is something out there bigger than us,” Cox said. “There is a plan out there for us, and we don’t know what it is. We just have to let go.”
This year, Cox’s mother passed away, but after attending Austin Recovery he re-established the lost relationship with his mother. When looking back on his recovery process, Cox’s greatest moment was gaining the love of his mother back.
“I believe things happen for a reason. Whether we know why they happen or not, they do happen. It happened to me so I can teach other people,” Cox said. “You can get through any kind of torment in your past, even without the drugs.”
