Recovery doesn’t just happen overnight; it’s a journey.

Bryan Lloyd knows this all too well. An affluent real estate developer when he started using heroin, Lloyd hit rock bottom before he turned his life around. 

Now eight years clean, he is a pastor at Sonrise Church, where he shares his inspiring story with others who are battling addiction.

“The guardrails in my life are God and recovery; they’re on both sides, keeping me in my lane,” he said. “This is unlike any other disease. You have to be a lifeline for people and help them get into treatment.”

From 2003-2008, Lloyd was at the height of his career. He was living the dream with a 7,500-square-foot home in Salisbury and a condo at the beach.

“My wife and I had the picture-perfect life, but inside I was really broken,” he said. “When the market crashed in 2008, we lost everything. I started to self-medicate to deal with the depression and loss.”

Lloyd started drinking heavily, but that wasn’t enough to numb the pain. He started using heroin, spending about $2,000 per week to feed the habit.

“I could support a pretty healthy addiction without anyone knowing it,” he said. “My wife tried to deny what was going on because things were so hectic. Eventually, when we lost it all, she said I had to choose it or her. I’m so glad she did.”

That ultimatum was a wake-up call for Lloyd, who immediately sought help and started rebuilding his life.

Since his journey to recovery started eight years ago, he has helped more than 100 people get the treatment they need.

“You have to have a direct plan with an addict,” Lloyd said. “The best thing you can do is set strong boundaries that show you will be there for them, but you will not support their addiction.”

Staying clean is a lifelong effort, he said, and if one person benefits from his story, he’s happy.

“There’s a lot of pain and suffering out there,” he said. “I’m thrilled I can help people find sustainable lives and be active in their community.”