Danny Griggs says he had a normal childhood. He grew up in Fresno, raised by loving parents, the middle of three brothers.
He played sports all four years of high school, stayed active and athletic.
"I had very good ethics instilled in me, and I had a very, very decent childhood," he said. "I don't have any negative memories or any traumatic events happened to me when I was a child."
But Griggs' life would eventually take a very different turn.
According to federal data from SAMHSA, nearly 1 in 6 Americans, about 48 million people, lived with a substance use disorder in 2024.
Experts say addiction can affect anyone, regardless of background.
Danny's story reflects that reality: even with a stable childhood and strong family support, he still fell into years of dependence on OxyContin, heroin, and fentanyl.
He said his drug use started in high school with weekend drinking and smoking marijuana at parties. In college, he experimented more - cocaine, benzodiazepines, and OxyContin.
"I tried OxyContin - it was like, 'Oh, this is one of the best feelings I've ever felt in my life.'" Griggs said. "Pretty soon, it's been two or three weeks and you try and stop. You cross this line and your body's like, 'No, we need more of what we're doing to feel better.' And you're like, 'Oh, I might have a drug problem.'"
For years, he balanced school, jobs, and relationships while hiding his addiction.
"So it's living a double life," he explained. "Being able to go into any social setting you want to, people not knowing, but at the same time, you have this huge drug problem and you're trying to balance it."
When OxyContin became harder to get, Griggs said he turned to heroin, and eventually fentanyl.
"I had tried it and it was one of the most powerful highs I'd ever had," he said. "It was enough to where I was like, I want that again over anything else I've done, so heroin went right out the window."
In 2022, his father died unexpectedly - one of the few people Griggs said truly understood his struggle.
"When he died, it really shook what little foundation I still had left. I just didn't care anymore," Griggs said. "I didn't want to die, but I didn't care if I was alive either."
That loss, combined with mounting consequences, finally pushed him toward treatment. Griggs entered sober living, where he met Howie, another recovering addict.
Together, they founded Fentanyl Anonymous, a support group that has since grown to chapters in multiple states.
"We kind of looked at each other like, 'Do you think we could do this?'" Griggs said. "So we 501(c)(3)'d it and just kind of been moving since then."
Now, Griggs says his life is steady. "I have my family back in my life. I have friends that support me. I have a full-time job. I have a girlfriend who has two boys, and I'm trying to reenroll in school and just move from there," he said. "My favorite hobby right now is paying bills. That's it. I don't owe anybody anything. I'm just genuinely content of where I'm at."
Griggs knows recovery is a daily process, but it's one he embraces.
"When I was using, I had always told myself if I could just get clean, Danny, if I could just get clean, I would run with it. So I got clean and I'm going to run with it."
To learn more about Fentanyl Anonymous and to attend a meeting, visit their website here.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available. Call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 to connect with a trained counselor, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Support is free and confidential.