Dr. Joseph Schiele: From Rock Bottom to Redemption - How My Faith in God Led Me Through Addiction, Prison, and Recovery

From Rock Bottom to Redemption: How My Faith in God Led Me Through Addiction, Prison, and Recovery by Joseph Schiele, PhD

In 2015, my life was changed forever. My fiancée and our unborn child, were tragically killed in an auto accident, caused by a drunk driver. In that instant, everything I had envisioned for our future was gone. The pain was simply unbearable, and I had no idea how to cope with it.

At the time, I was a respected University Professor, a man with a stable career and a promising future. Grief doesn’t care about status, success, or logic, it just consumes you. Desperate for any relief, I turned to doctor prescribed antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication. At first, they seemed to help, but soon, they weren’t enough.

As the days turned into months, my search for relief led me down darker paths. What began as a way to dull the pain slowly escalated—from heavy drinking to marijuana, and eventually, to harder substances like cocaine and ketamine. Each step deeper into addiction was my desperate attempt to escape the ache that had become my constant companion. But the deeper I went, the further I drifted from the man I once was.

What started as a way to numb the pain quickly spiraled into self-destruction. My home became a place for wild parties—gatherings where I surrounded myself with distractions in an attempt to silence the grief. Adults of all ages, and sometimes, even students from the university, filled my house. I told myself that it was all about balance, that I could handle it, but the truth was, I was so wrong.

The Night Everything Changed

Acting on a tip and recognizing my behavior as reckless and unacceptable, university officials and local police made the decision to intervene. On Valentine’s Day, 2017, as I hosted what I thought was a small, harmless gathering, my world, and the front door of my house, literally came crashing down. The police raided my home.

During their search, they found trace amounts of ketamine—barely visible residue on a credit card and in a small, empty baggie. That was enough to charge me with drug possession. But it didn’t stop there.

I also faced a felony firearm charge, even though the firearms—a legally registered shotgun and a .22 caliber rifle purchased for hunting—were found unloaded, safely stored, and securely locked away in my bedroom closet. Despite this, these firearms were still used to justify an additional charge.

To make matters worse, prosecutors added a "maintaining a drug house" charge. Two people at the gathering, hoping to avoid their own charges, testified that the small amount of drugs found that night belonged to me. Suddenly, I wasn’t just facing possession charges—I was being accused of running a "drug house," a claim that felt like a cruel exaggeration of a broken man’s desperate attempt to numb his pain.

The Harsh Reality of the Legal System

I’m not saying I was treated unfairly—I made my own choices, and I own them. But when drugs are involved, even in small amounts, the law does not hesitate to throw its full weight at you. One officer told me directly, "If we want to get you, we have our ways."

When my day in court finally came, I was found guilty. I had made the mistake of fighting my case instead of pleading guilty as I should have. The judge decided to make an example out of me, handing down the maximum allowable sentence on all charges. Just like that, I went from being a respected professor to an inmate, serving two and a half years in prison.

I had lost everything I once held dear—my dream of a loving family, my career, my reputation, my financial stability, and even my home. The respect of my colleagues vanished, the trust of my friends dissolved, and my sense of self disintegrated. My life unraveled before my eyes.

The financial devastation was also staggering. Not only did I lose my career and reputation, but my two investment properties were also foreclosed on when tenants stopped paying rent. The government seized my home, forced its sale, and then handed me a bill of over $100,000 to cover the costs of my incarceration. This was on top of the $50,000 I spent on legal fees defending myself.

This isn’t a tale of self-pity—it’s a cautionary story for anyone who thinks they can escape the inevitable consequences that come with breaking the law. The personal and professional costs are staggering, with the potential to wipe out everything you've worked for in your life. It simply isn’t worth it. The truth is, when drugs and alcohol enter the picture, there's no such thing as winning. The risks are enormous, and the consequences can shatter your life in an instant. I learned this the hard way.

Life behind bars was a brutal wake-up call. I found myself surrounded by murderers, rapists, and some of the most dangerous individuals society had to offer. Prison wasn’t just about losing my freedom—it was a relentless, daily battle for survival. The violence I witnessed and experienced firsthand was nothing short of horrifying. It was a dark, unforgiving place that left an indelible mark on my soul, changing my life forever.

Darkness to Light: Finding Redemption Through God’s Love

After about a year of incarceration, I was brutally attacked by two gang members for accidentally using the wrong washroom. This led to me spending 33 days in solitary confinement. The silence of that cold, unforgiving cell pressed down on me. It was absolute hell. Time lost meaning as each day bled into the next. But in those depths, surrounded by the echoes of my own thoughts, I rediscovered something—my faith in God. At my lowest point, when despair threatened to consume me, I cried out in desperation, not knowing if anyone was listening. But in that moment, I felt something I hadn't felt in years—hope.

God met me in my darkness, not with judgment, but with grace. He gave me the strength to face my past, to stop running, and to start healing. Through His love, I learned to forgive—not just those who had wronged me, but myself. I learned to accept that my past did not define me, and that I was not beyond redemption.

Choosing to Rise Again

When I walked out of those prison gates, I had nothing—no money, no career, no home. But I had something more powerful than all of that: a second chance.

With my renewed faith in God and His power to help us find our path, I dedicated myself to rebuilding, step by step, day by day. Sobriety wasn’t a one-time decision—it was a battle I had to fight every single day. There were obstacles, moments of doubt, and the unforgiving judgment of those who only saw my past, not the man I truly was.

Finding Purpose in Helping Others

The first thing I did upon my release was to start a company that imported and sold PPE products during the COVID-19 pandemic. That venture lasted just over a year, until I found myself in Tbilisi, Georgia, where helping to feed the homeless became a source of healing for me. My journey of redemption continued in Thailand, where I founded a company dedicated to providing food, clothing, shelter, and healthcare to Thailand's orphans. After spending years destroying my own life, I was now, with God's help, fully committed to saving others from the same fate.

Now, back in Canada, and as of 2025, more than 8 years sober, I've traded in the classroom for the rugged oil fields of Alberta. It’s a different life, no doubt, much simpler in many ways, but one filled with grace, hope, and an unwavering desire to help those affected by trauma and addiction.

This new chapter inspired me to create The Addiction Survivors Network. Through this network, I've had the privilege of witnessing real change firsthand. I've sat with men and women as they took their first courageous steps toward recovery, shared in their tears of both pain and triumph, and celebrated their hard-earned milestones of sobriety.

One of the most humbling experiences was meeting John, a former construction worker whose life had been derailed by addiction. Through our network, he found not only the resources to get sober but also a new purpose in helping others. Today, he volunteers his time mentoring newcomers, a living testament to the power of second chances. John has become a very good friend of mine.

The network has become a safe haven—a place where stories of struggle evolve into stories of strength, and where the healing power of community illuminates the path forward. Those seeking guidance and inspiration will find valuable resources that not only resonate with their struggles but also support their journey toward a healthier, more fulfilling life.

My Mission: Helping Others Find Their Way Back

I share my story as proof that recovery is possible. I know what it’s like to feel lost, hopeless, and beyond redemption. But I also know that no one is beyond saving. Through The Addiction Survivors Network, I want to reach those who feel like they have no way out because I have been there. And I am living proof that there is always a way back.

No matter how far you’ve fallen, you can rise again. No matter how broken you feel, you can heal. Because the truth is, your past does not define you—your choices moving forward do.

💙 You can survive this. You can rebuild, and with God's help, I’m here to show you how.