Hope and recovery: Personal journeys amid Mississippi's opioid crisis

As Mississippi grapples with the opioid epidemic, individuals and local organizations are leading efforts to fight addiction using personal experiences and acts of compassion to guide others toward recovery.

Opioid-related overdose deaths in Mississippi in 2022 accounted for 78.4% of all overdose fatalities in the state, claiming 281 lives, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health. 

Mississippi pharmacies dispensed over 410,000 opioid doses daily on average, totaling 149 million doses in a year — equivalent to about 50 doses per resident, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health.

While state officials work to bolster prevention and treatment programs, local organizations and those in recovery play a critical role in addressing the epidemic.

For Jody Couch, founder of Inside Out Outreach, the battle against addiction begins with compassion and community support. Her Gulf Coast-based organization focuses on providing food, clothing, toiletries, spiritual support and other essential resources to individuals experiencing homelessness and battling addiction, addressing immediate needs while fostering a sense of community. 

Couch’s Christian faith fuels her work, she said.

“Many people I meet feel invisible,” Couch said. “We remind them they’re not. This is more than just providing food or clothes — it’s about showing them a way forward. I believe that with faith and encouragement, people can find the strength to overcome their struggles.”

That’s what she tried to show 47-year-old Jennifer Callais of Louisiana on a Wednesday morning in August in Gulfport. Callais stood before her, tears streaming down her face.

“I just want to get better and change my life,” Callais said as Couch handed her a bag of donated clothes and food for her and her boyfriend. For years, Callais had struggled with opioid addiction and is one of many individuals Couch regularly supports.

Through Inside Out Outreach, Couch spends her days delivering goods to homeless encampments, offering prayer, and helping people envision a path to recovery. Though she has no personal history of addiction, Couch’s work is rooted in empathy and faith. Encounters like Callais’ reaffirm her belief that small acts of compassion can spark hope and transform lives.

Finding recovery through faith

For 43-year-old Casey Wortman of Saltillo, addiction is personal, and she aims to use her lived experiences to help others. 

As a teenager, Wortman turned to opioids to escape feelings of loneliness and despair.

“Drugs became my escape from loneliness and those terrible voices in my head,” Wortman said.

Wortman’s challenges began early. Her parents divorced when she was three, creating an unstable home environment. After her father died when she was 11, she entered into a downward spiral of drug and alcohol use, compounded by trauma and family instability. 

Wortman’s road to recovery began with a transformative spiritual experience. In 2017, she turned to faith-based treatment, enrolling in Transformation Home for Women in Mississippi. This decision marked a pivotal moment in her life, as she found strength and purpose through her faith, she said.

“I just scream and shout and worship because Jesus set me free,” she said. Through her recovery, she reconnected with her children, rebuilt her family and embraced her role in helping others. 

“There were so many times I thought I’d never make it,” Wortman said. “But I did. And if I can, so can others.”

Today, Wortman is married, a mother, and works at Anchor Church in Tupelo, helping others discover the strength that faith and community can provide. Her life now stands in stark contrast to the struggles she faced during her addiction.

“I have both of my children back, and I’ve been married for five years to the most hardworking, loving, selfless, caring man I know,” Wortman said. “Recovery gave me more than sobriety — it gave me a life I never dreamed was possible.”

‘A turning point’

Patrick Davis of Tupelo said he found recovery through resilience, purpose and the support of his community. The 22-year-old’s addiction began as a way to escape fear and anxiety, but the toll it took on his relationships and self-worth eventually pushed him to make a change.

“I got tired of being embarrassed, detoxing constantly, just trying to survive,” Davis said. “I wanted to look myself in the mirror again and be OK.”

Davis struggled with how his addiction affected his family. While they wanted him around, he often kept his distance, ashamed of the burden he placed on them.

“My family loved having me around, but when I was there, I wasn’t really there,” Davis said. “It was hard for me to show up for anything. I was always late, or I just wouldn’t come. I was stressful to be around, and I gave it all away. Today, it’s different. They can trust me now, and it feels good to be wanted again.”

At 19, Davis entered recovery, tired of the cycle of addiction and seeking something more meaningful. The decision to pursue sobriety was rooted in wanting to reclaim his life.

“It wasn’t easy, but I had to relearn how to live,” Davis said.

Richard Morris, who has been Davis’ best friend since fifth grade, saw the toll addiction took on him.

 “The Patrick that was around back then was barely a person,” Morris said. “He couldn’t exist without the stuff. To imagine back then that he would have even been in my wedding — it’s impossible to imagine. When I first saw him after rehab, it was like the first time I’d seen him alive in five years.”

Now, Davis is studying social work and channels his experiences into his job as a community outreach representative at Heale Counseling in Tupelo, finding fulfillment in helping others. 

“I love my job. I love its culture,” Davis said. “We lead with honesty and integrity, and you don’t find many companies like that. I’m proud of all the work we’ve done and the staff’s reputation.”

Morris, who has been sober for nearly three years, said he’s proud of his friend’s transformation. 

“Patrick was rough, and it started really young,” Morris said. “But to see him get better, it’s incredible. He’s like a brother to me, and I couldn’t be prouder.”

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