Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio contributed a video to the nonprofit organization Jenna’s Promise in which he spoke about his recovery from opiate addiction. The clip was broadcast at a dinner celebrating the grand opening of Jenna’s House, a recovery center in Johnson, Vermont.
Jenna’s Promise was founded by Greg and Dawn Tatro, whose daughter Jenna Tatro died in 2019 from an opiate overdose. Anastasio has a close connection to the organization’s goals as his The Divided Sky Foundation is launching a substance use disorder treatment center in Ludlow, Vermont.
“I am a sober person myself, I was addicted to opiates and I’ve been sober for 14 years … it will be 15 years on January 5th,” Trey said. “I am just one more person who’s part of the same Vermont and nationwide tragedy that’s happened to so many other people. I’ve met so many people in recovery from every walk of life — teachers, doctors and mothers. What’s happened is a tragedy. I want to say loud and clear that when I was arrested as a full-blown oxycontin and heroin addict on December 16th, 2006, I had access to help and I think that what Dawn and Greg are doing here with Jenna’s Promise is to provide that same kind of help to others which is exactly what I’m trying to do with the rehab center in Ludlow.”
Anastasio went on to discuss what addicts need as they recover and wise words that were said to him. “Trey, you’re a sick person trying to get well, not a bad person trying to get good,” Anastasio recalled a nurse told him the first night he entered rehab.
“In 15 years of sobriety and being very actively involved in sobriety work, I have found that those words are incredibly true,” the guitarist added. He explained that he wasn’t able to attend the dinner in person because he was at a hotel while on tour “staying a block from COVID people.”
Learn more about Jenna’s Promise here. Watch Trey’s video below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CTfzgqqgGjz/
[Hat Tip – @PhishOnPhilm]
