Matt Hamilton/Daily Citizen-NewsScott Young, right, hands out pamphlets at the Celebrate Recovery booth recently at the Mack Gaston Community Center.

DALTON, Ga. — The last time Jim Murphy went to prison was 2004.

Murphy, 58, said he struggled with opioids and meth. He said he was “sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

He said every time he was jailed it was for doing or selling drugs.

“I was getting tired of seeing my kids grow up through the jail visitation room,” he said.

Murphy, who said he’s been clean for 14 years, spoke at a Recovery Symposium held recently at the Mack Gaston Community Center sponsored by the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. More than 20 organizations participated and close to 100 people attended.

Chris Johnson, program coordinator with the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse, said the symposium was part of a recovery community organization development project. “Those are nonprofit groups nationwide that gather information to share with the recovery community,” he said.

Murphy said the symposium was a good event.

“It keeps (people) informed with what’s going on,” he said. “It joins people together and helps them work on staying clean.”

While in prison, Murphy read literature from Narcotics Anonymous to help motivate him.

Johnson said social support services like Narcotics Anonymous, the Conasauga Drug Court, the treatment community and families are a huge part of recovery.

While planning the symposium, Johnson said, organizers saw the major role that facilities play in recovery.

“Georgia Hope and Highland Rivers have played a big part in bringing together people in the community to make this happen,” he said. “This event was sponsored by the state’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, but it was really organized by the community.”

Scott Young, a Celebrate Recovery volunteer, said that organization assists people who are recovering from physical abuse, drugs and alcohol. Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered recovery program at Liberty Baptist Church in Dalton.

“We’re seeing God do great things through this program, and lots of people rehabilitated,” he said.

Young said the symposium was a great idea. He said Celebrate Recovery does a good job of equipping people with tools for recovery such as support groups.

“It’s great to see a community of all ethnicities come together for one cause, whether it’s religious or Narcotics Anonymous,” he said. “All these groups try to help people who are struggling.”

Shane Cochran, 30, a Drug Court participant, said he’s been clean for nine months.

“Drug Court showed me how to live my life sober and be more productive,” he said. “It’s taught me not to seek a drug to help get past my problems.”

Cochran said he now realizes that drugs were just the symptom.

“The real problem was me, so it teaches me to work things out on my own,” he said.

Cochran plans to enroll at Dalton State College in August, majoring in business management and human resources. He said the symposium was a great idea, but wishes they were more frequent.

“There are a bunch of people suffering that could come in here and get resources,” Cochran said. “A person can come off the street and save their life.”